


Imprint of Love

by kpopismydrug



Category: Super Junior
Genre: (IT'S VERY SMALL THO I PROMISE), Alternate Universe, Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Soul Bond, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings, and so much tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 07:22:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5576539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kpopismydrug/pseuds/kpopismydrug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They do not remember memories, a time, or faces. They only remember love. A love that is new, yet old. For Soul Partners, love does not end at death, but waits – apparently. </p><p>For a world that craves this, where society and the media romanticises it, this strange phenomenon known as <i>Soul Partners</i> does it even exist? Or is it just another selling fantasy?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a long time since I last did a chaptered fic, huh? Well, get yourselves buckled in for another attempt of me trying to be creative and making up an AU and getting herself confused multiple times in the process! 
> 
> You will experience moments of pure frustration (it is kyuhae we're talking about) and also moments where (hopefully) you'll want to claw your own eyes out from the cuteness. 
> 
> It was meant to be a one-shot for kyuhae day, but it turned into a monster instead.
> 
> I tried to make it different (esp since 'Capture' featured soulmates), and more interesting than just 'soulmates', which is why I gave myself so many headaches, now that I think about it.
> 
> So, stop reading this, and allow me to welcome you to the monster that I deleted at one point because it was causing me such a headache.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it possible to leave a footprint on something like someone’s soul?

 

Is it possible for people to find the truest form of love, that when time comes to erase their existence, a little something is left behind on those Souls that the love touched?

 

Soulmates, is often the closest you will get to a new modern name now. After all, the traditional name for this phenomenon is quite dated and lacking now.

 

But maybe, even that is not enough to call it.

 

It’s not just about Souls coming together and connecting, it’s more to it than that. It’s about an unbroken tie that time cannot erase. Something that lives on, continues to reappear time and time again through different moments of time.

 

For something as strong as this tie, it is more about being merely connected. It is about existing for the other, nurturing an almost ancient love for each other, and being the missing part of their existence.

 

A footprint can be brushed away physically, but can this imprint ever leave once it is beneath the skin?

 

What happens if either souls fail to find the other?

 

What happens then?

 

Do they merely exist in the shadows of loss? Unaware of the knowledge that they have another, maybe more than one, to be part of their soul?

 

Do they get another chance of finding each other?

 

What happens if they don’t get another chance?

 

Do they become starved?

 

What becomes of those souls that lose each other?

 

What becomes of those that are fortunate to find each other?

 

In a world where the existence of Soul Partners occurs, what truly becomes of these souls’ tales?

 

It’s time to see another tale begin.

 

It’s time to see if these souls can find another…..

 

Or lose another to time once more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“There is no truer form of love, than the love of your Soul Partner.”

 

“Your Soul Partner is your everything, just as you are to them.”

 

“Take advantage of this weekend deal-”

 

Kyuhyun settles more into his seat now that the advertisement can be skipped and he can watch the rest of his show in peace.

 

Making sure his earphones are in securely to stop any sound from leaking out, he turns the volume up a bit more to block out some of the noise of the afternoon rush hour.

 

But even ten minutes into his talk show, and only fifteen minutes into his forty minute commute to the city, Kyuhyun finds himself annoyed.

 

It takes him until the next advert to figure out why.

 

Gritting his teeth as another media obsessed advertisement plays, he turns it off and switches to his music instead.

 

In all of his twenty-one years, he never would have expected himself to be so anti-Soul Partners. Even when he was a kid, he was besotted with the idea that, out there, in the great big world, is someone who completes him. And then he grew up, learned all about how society is made up of shit and how the media does nothing but amplifies this bullshit, and grew indifferent to the so called tales of ‘Soul Partners’ existing.

 

It was now 2015, and the sad truth is that there was a sharp decline in ‘Soul Partners’ even meeting, let alone existing.

 

The age of technology is a ‘fate buzz kill’ so it would seem.

 

Of course, you wouldn’t know of this decline because the media and society loves to remind the entire world that this honestly ludicrous phenomenon exists and is thriving, when if you did enough digging, you would learn the depressing truth of the matter.

 

Every kid, as soon as they are able to understand, are taught about Soul Partners, or Soulmates, as they are commonly referred to now. Parts of education are even dedicated to the knowing and understanding of everything that there is to know of the world of ‘Souls’.

 

All of this educating is supposed to make you vigilant, aware of the possibilities of finding and not finding your so called ‘destined’ other.

 

It was honestly just a waste. And here is why.

 

His parents weren’t Soul Bonded. A good chuck of the nation probably wasn’t either, but the media and textbooks do a fantastic job in saying otherwise.

 

This conditioning into believing that you can only find love with your Soul Partner - or partners, because Soul bonding doesn’t discriminate, has caused just that. Discrimination.

 

Those who fall in love without some ancient past love dictating it, those who willingly wait to find said ancient past love, and those who don’t even want to be that way involved with another, all of these types are constantly fighting another.

 

So that is another reason why Kyuhyun is so anti-Soul Partners. In this day and age, it is a dying phenomenon that causes too much pain and angst when it should just be left alone and not so hyped up about.

 

Dying phenomenon or not, as another advert plays because he hasn’t shut down the video streaming app properly - this one featuring Photoshopped Bonding Marks on the models trying to sell some form of domesticity, Kyuhyun knows it will never not be talked about. It’s too much of a fantasy, a fantasy that sells millions as it destroys lives too.

 

Taking a look around the subway carriage, he sees if he can see with his own eyes evidence of all the years of education and conditioning media in real life.

 

He doesn’t.

 

This time, he makes sure to close the app properly.

 

His fortnightly trip home has already drained him of his patience, because public transport is the bane of his existence and will forever test him when it fails to work, and all he wants is to return back to his dorm room and sleep.

 

He has an important audition tomorrow, and he still wants to tweak his audition pieces.

 

As he glances up as they approach the next subway stop, he sees the huge advertisements lined on the subway walls as they roll to a halt to allow new and old passengers to switch places.

 

Kyuhyun tears his eyes away, but he can’t rid the burned image that society dictates over them all.

 

The sooner the cold hard truth makes itself loud and clear, the sooner Kyuhyun can be free from having his retinas see such fraud advertisements.

 

Until then, Kyuhyun will continue to go on indifferent and uncaring.

 

Soul Partners, Soul Mates, whatever you want to call them, are just another media pushed concept, and the sooner people realise that, the healthier the entire world will be.

 

As his message tone cuts through his music. Kyuhyun pushes aside the subject for good, and brings himself back to his reality.

 

Seeing it was a message from his dorm mate, Kyuhyun’s tensed body begins to relax again.

 

By the time he reaches his stop and is walking amongst the hundreds of other city folk, Kyuhyun’s previous annoyance of a certain subject are long gone from his mind.

 

He’s back in Seoul now, and tomorrow is a day he’s been working hard towards for the last two months.

 

Tomorrow will be the deciding day. Tomorrow will decide whether the last three years at an art university studying an acting and singing degree have been for nothing, or have proven his disapproving father wrong, and score Kyuhyun an agent with one of the top entertainment companies in South Korea.

 

As his audition piece replays again through his earphones, Kyuhyun mimes to it, getting lost in the song and to the possible future that is hanging so close within his desperate hands.

 

He has the degree, he has the experience, and he has an amazing voice, if he does say so himself.

 

The only thing he needs right now in his life is this company.

 

And he’ll do his best to make sure he gets it.

 

 

 

 

_“Your audition piece was solid, Kyuhyun.”_

_“You have a vocal tone that isn’t often we hear, here at SM.”_

_“Your vocal training and technique is a testament to how stable and in control you are when you reach such notes.”_

_“However, your vocal colour is something we are not used to branding.”_

_“We finally made a decision.”_

_“And after some careful consideration and thought…we’ve come to a mutual conclusion.”_

_“Cho Kyuhyun...”_

_“We would like to offer you a place within SM Entertainment.”_

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_Three Years Later_

 

 

 

Today was a special day.

 

It marked the three years since he aced his audition and became part of the SM family.

 

It also marked the start of a life he never anticipated for.

 

For the first year, he worked within the musical theatre world. His passion to try all singing concepts whilst also putting the acting part of his degree to some use, meant he had an eventful year, and made a lot of friends and contacts along the way.

 

Within that first year, he grew as a singer, and grew in a way that university could never achieve.

 

When it came to his first annually check-up and review with the company, he had slight thoughts that they would maybe push to take his acting into a more commercial avenue, which is something he didn’t ever want to do. His passion was singing, not acting. Acting was an instrument for him towards his singing. He didn’t want to make a career out of it.

 

However, he was proposed something else that rendered him speechless.

 

He was offered a chance to take his singing a step further.

 

He was offered to audition for the chance to become a _professional_ singer.

 

He was hesitant to even take the offer to audition. He knew the company made the majority of their money and revenue in the form of making and managing idol groups. He wasn’t really sure he felt a hundred percent comfortable with becoming an idol, not with all of his training he’s had for his voice. He didn’t want all of that training to go to waste by singing generic pop songs.

 

With these thoughts in mind, Kyuhyun did end up going to the audition, but what he performed was close to his own taste and style, rather than what he knew the audition was wanting.

 

Ballads and slow rock were Kyuhyun’s taste, the types of genre that can pull the strongest and rawest emotions from you.

 

He went into that audition without expecting anything.

 

And he came out of it with his future changed once again.

 

A week later, Kyuhyun was standing in a soundproofed rehearsal room having his eardrums inducted into his new future.

 

A couple months later, and he debuted as the main vocalist of SM’s first rock group.

 

Now that they are nearing their second year anniversary, and after a roller-coaster few months where they had a sudden surge in popularity due to their fourth single, the band were gearing up for their next comeback, not wanting to allow their new found attention and popularity to die.

 

“Are we finally going to do a ballad?” he asks as his fingers fly across his laptop keys, his eyes fixed on the gameplay.

 

Changmin, the lead vocalist and guitarist, snorts from across his side of the room.

 

“Mate, we’re not doing a ballad as a title song.”

 

“It’ll be a nice break from the saturation of sex that is currently going on,” Kyuhyun comments back, biting his lip as he almost loses a rank.

 

“It’s hard enough competing against idols, we’re not losing the public now just to satisfy your angsty soul.”

 

Kyuhyun’s fingers stutter, and he watches as his team dies as a result.

 

He slowly turns to glare over his shoulder at the lounging male. “Did you really have to use those choice of words?”

 

Changmin smirk is noticeable, even from behind his manga. “Ah, how could I forget that your tender soul is so touchy?”

 

“I will cut up every single guitar string you own,” Kyuhyun warns.

 

Changmin stifles a laugh and finally looks up to meet Kyuhyun’s gaze. “The more you bite, the funnier your hatred over such a thing gets.”

 

“I don’t hate it,” Kyuhyun answers stiffly, going back to his laptop. “I’m just not a fan.”

 

“The amount of video proof I’ve collected of your face whenever Soul Partners are mentioned when we’re on a show is staggering. I’m surprised the fans haven’t noticed yet of your coldness.”

 

Kyuhyun bites his tongue, and starts the process of a new game.

 

“Have you heard the latest rumours?” Changmin starts, and Kyuhyun hears the sofa shifting as the male gets up. “About the new variety show SBS are hoping to do?”

 

Kyuhyun pauses, trying to recall if he’s heard anything, but then remembers that since he’s currently a new talk show host for MBC, a rival company, he isn’t privy to gossip about other television companies shows.

 

Kyuhyun voices his lack of knowledge, and the slightly younger male excitedly divulges the gossip.

 

Kyuhyun, admittedly, had only really been hearing with one ear as he concentrated on getting his team ready, but the second ‘Soul Partners’ registered in his head, Kyuhyun almost broke his neck to look at the male.

 

“Say that again,” he demands, briefly stunning the male.

 

“You weren’t listening?” Changmin growls, annoyed.

 

Kyuhyun shoves his chair away from the little table they have stuck in the corner, and rolls it over to the male.

 

Changmin continues to give him an annoyed stare, but does repeat himself.

 

“They’re debating whether or not to have a make-believe show where couples pretend to be Soul Partners.”

 

Kyuhyun’s faith in the world drops dramatically. “Are you being serious?”

 

“I wish I was. Wanna know the potential name?”

 

Kyuhyun thinks he’s going to be sick with the confirmation, and Changmin continues on anyway with glee.

 

“We Got Soul Partnered,” Changmin says, face the perfect image of seriousness, but his tone is hundred percent mocking. “I’m not even making this shit up. They’re actually thinking about-hey, where are you going?”

 

“To drown myself,” Kyuhyun announces as he leaves their practice room, needing air, needing a new existence where this stupid existence of Soul Partners doesn’t exist.

 

As he locks himself in an empty practice room, Kyuhyun picks up the studio headphones and turns on the electronic keyboard.

 

Once settled, and the world blocked out with only leaving his loud thoughts flying around his head, Kyuhyun’s fingers find themselves home on the keys, playing a hard but brutal melody to drain out the thoughts and the frustration and annoyance currently flooding his body.

 

He’s made it this far in his career without having the stupid phenomenon touching it, and he wants it to continue to being untouched.

 

But Changmin’s words have triggered a gut feeling he’s been having over the last week.

 

Their next concept has yet to be decided, the title track yet to be chosen out of the ones the band have made together, and Kyuhyun has an awful feeling he isn’t going to like the concept that will be chosen.

 

He’s praying he is wrong, but due to them entering autumn, and soon winter, leaving behind the fun of summer, this is the prime time for romance, and where there is romance, Soul Partners aren’t too far behind it.

 

As he hits the climax of his song, a song he only ever plays for himself when his thoughts and emotions feel close to the surface of the calm and indifferent exterior he is known for, Kyuhyun can only hope his gut is wrong this one time.

 

Because if he has to go with a Soul Partnered concept, he doesn’t know if he can remain professional enough to sell it.

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling the gentle patting motion of the makeup sponge buffing in the foundation currently transforming his acne scarred skin into the flawless mask that the high definition camera only accepts, Kyuhyun tries to get his mind focused on today’s massive task.

 

Their comeback single was finally done and was already waiting to be unleashed to their fans and newly interested public.

 

Kyuhyun didn’t get the ballad he’s been itching to share with the world, instead they got a quite mellow, yet addictive sounding, piece. It had a thick drum beat that hooked your heartbeat into rhythm and the soft background of the guitars moulded with the intensity of the lyrics which were delivered by Kyuhyun and Changmin.

 

The fans will be happy for the return of Changmin’s iconic high notes, and hopefully their new interested public will be impressed by the younger male’s vocal abilities.

 

Kyuhyun was happy, proud, of the work they spent late hours repeating and redoing.

 

However, the only thing he wasn’t happy about, was the concept.

 

They were given musical freedom and leeway, but their overall concept and look were dictated by SM.

 

And this comeback’s concept was in the dreaded form of Soul Partners.

 

Feeling the setting powder being patted lightly over his skin to make sure he isn’t looking like he’s slathered his face in grease on camera, Kyuhyun opens his eyes, and rests his gaze on his reflection.

 

“Have you guys decided who the main will be?” his stylist asks him, the older male lightly tipping Kyuhyun’s head up so he can work on his eyebrows.

 

“It’ll be Changmin again,” Kyuhyun mutters, tone still struggling to inject enthusiasm into it. “His face looks ridiculously beautiful when twisted with angst.”

 

“He is the face of the group,” the stylist chuckles softly, and Kyuhyun shuts his eyes again as the male works on his eyes now.

 

“He should’ve been a model,” Kyuhyun says, ears picking up the sound of the door opening. “It’s not fair that he’s so good looking and also stupidly talented.”

 

“And tall,” Changmin adds, tone smug and humorous. “You can’t forget that.”

 

“And just when I thought I could have a moment’s peace,” Kyuhyun trails off, grin building, and hears his stylist block Changmin’s attempts to mess with him. “Why are you in here, anyway? I thought you were done?”

 

“The director has decided who he wants the main to be now that the model has arrived,” Changmin sighs, the sound of the chair near to Kyuhyun’s creaking as he sits.

 

Kyuhyun opens one eye to look at the male in their reflection. “Your voice is telling me it’s not you?”

 

Changmin nods, a small amused smile to his lips as he watches Kyuhyun. “Observant as ever.”

 

Kyuhyun shuts his eye and waits for the brat to hurry up.

 

“You may want to move the eyeliner away,” Changmin advises the stylist, and Kyuhyun tenses ever so slightly as he feels the male move away, “because guess who the lucky _soul_ is to be today’s main.”

 

Kyuhyun’s whole body feels cold, his stomach torn whether or not to clench or to hurl.

 

“Congrats, hyung, you’re going to have to work hard today in believing in something you despise.”

 

 

 

 

Even though he and Changmin argued, Kyuhyun in full denial and thinking that his best mate was pulling his leg and being a little shit, but it wasn’t until he got on set in the warehouse that was decorated to match the theme for the music video they were filming, that it actually hit him.

 

He was the main.

 

And as the director shoves a storyboard in his face, indicating Kyuhyun’s character’s story and whatnot, Kyuhyun can feel his throat tighten, his stomach rolling, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck.

 

His eyes follows the older man’s waving and sees the model he was to work…..act with… as if they were Soul Partners.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t even take in the model’s features, he just stares unseeingly at the male, numb and in shock.

 

“Kyuhyun?” his manager barks his name politely, but the bite to it shows his concern over his current lack of professionalism.

 

Kyuhyun jerks, scrambles to remember how to even act normal when all he wants to do is scream at the bastard who decided this concept.

 

“It’s alright, I know my beauty stuns people,” the model jokes in an attempt to break the tension created due to Kyuhyun’s muteness.

 

Kyuhyun is a little late to join in with the laughter, but before he can mourn over how stupid and unprofessional he currently looks, he’s being tugged aside by the wardrobe staff to fix the final touches to his outfit for the band scene they were to film first.

 

As the director shouts for the staff to get the scene finished and for the rest of the band to get into their positions, Kyuhyun soon forgets about his upcoming scenes as he stumbles into his position.

 

He needs to focus on the lyrics. Just them. The dreaded acting of Soul Partners was only for music video, the lyrics are free to interpret how you please.

 

Kyuhyun takes a deep breath, eyes shutting as the first warning sound blares through the air as the camera crew and lighting technicians get situated.

 

When the director shouts for silence, Kyuhyun feels a lot calmer, feeling the presence of his band members around him, the air of nervous anticipation building as they all get into the zone.

 

When the director shouts the cue to begin, Kyuhyun forgets the unnecessary, and slips into the persona he’s come to develop for the camera as the music begins to channel through his veins.

 

And he moves to its flow, allows the lyrics and their vocals dictate his emotions to the camera.

 

In this moment, he exists for the music, for his band, and that is all that matters.

 

 

 

 

It isn’t until hours later when the main band scenes have been filmed that Kyuhyun sees his acting partner for today.

 

He sees the male standing, legs slightly apart for the smaller female makeup stylist, and Kyuhyun tries to recall any features of the male to mind, since all he can currently see is the male’s broad back that transitions down into a slender waist.

 

Kyuhyun glances to see Changmin doing his individual shots, being as handsome as always, almost sexy, but then again, Changmin has a natural allure to him.

 

Kyuhyun continues to fan himself, having just finished his own, and nods to show he had heard when their drummer, Minho, shouts that he and their other band member are going to nap in the dressing trailer.

 

He’s next to film, and Kyuhyun knows he should at least learn the model’s name that he’s supposed to be Soul Bonded to.

 

Finding a confidence he doesn’t a hundred percent feel, Kyuhyun heads over to the model.

 

“Hello,” he greets politely, bowing as he rounds in front of them.

 

Kyuhyun almost does a double take as his eyes finally take in the model.

 

The model grins at him, bowing the best he can back whilst the makeup artist continues touching up his face. “So, you _can_ talk,” the male teases good-naturedly.

 

Kyuhyun wills the embarrassment away, smiling back. “Yeah, I guess I was too surprised I was the main,” he partially lies.

 

The male hums in understanding. “I’m Lee Donghae.”

 

“Cho Kyuhyun.”

 

“My kid meter is going off,” Donghae continues to tease, his smile turning brighter the second Kyuhyun’s face shifts at the word ‘kid’. “How old are you, Kyuhyun?”

 

“Twenty-four,” he answers, already feeling surprisingly comfortable with the model, despite being teased. “How ancient are you?”

 

Donghae barks out a laugh at that, surprising the poor stylist.

 

“I think we’re gonna be fine, kid,” Donghae summarises, and Kyuhyun can’t help but agree as he smiles. “We already have a natural dynamic.”

 

“Isn’t it meant to be my character wooing you?” Kyuhyun cheekily reminds as they both move to their set now Donghae is free.

 

“We’re past that stage, we’re meant to be besotted with each other.” Donghae abruptly stops, startling Kyuhyun, and pulls the most over exaggerated loving expression his handsome face can pull.

 

Kyuhyun can only stare. “Wow, I thought models were meant to pull attractive faces, not pained ones.”

 

And sniggers as he dodges the older male’s shove.

 

“You’re the bratty type,” Donghae bemoans. “Why is it always the shy ones that are the brats?”

 

Kyuhyun gawps at him. “Where did you get shy from?”

 

“It’s the air you give off.”

 

“’The air I give off’,” Kyuhyun repeats, not impressed. “That’s just an opinion. The wrong kind too.”

 

“We shall see, won’t we?” Donghae says as the director begins to head over to their little set area, the cameramen following.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t really know what the model means by that, but as they wait for the lights to be set to how the director wants the scene to look and the cameramen get their bulky freehand cameras into position, he can’t help but catch himself glancing back at the model.

 

They’re both wearing near identical stripped navy sweaters, the only difference is that the white stripes on Donghae’s are a bit wider compared to Kyuhyun’s. The model looks good, which isn’t surprising considering it is his job, but still, his looks aren’t the kind of that immediately grab your attention. Donghae has the type of face that the more you look at him, the more things you notice. He has a subtle beauty, almost casual, and Kyuhyun has a gut feeling that without the makeup and the perfectly styled hair, the male would still look as handsome as he does now.

 

Effortless beauty. That’s what Lee Donghae had.

 

And currently the older male is staring at him, amused.

 

Kyuhyun has just been caught ogling the male, and being lost in his thoughts about him.

 

Thankfully, Kyuhyun is saved from the crippling embarrassment when the director joins them to once again go through with what he wants them to do for the duration of the scenes.

 

Kyuhyun tries to focus, tries to just think of it as a lovers story, rather than the overhyped phenomenon.

 

It works, a little. The first scene they’re going to be doing is centred around them being cosy on the expensive and stiff looking sofa.

 

They had to be ‘natural’, so improvisation was the key to these scenes with the bulky camera and its crane following them.

 

As their single played, to help with setting the mood, Kyuhyun feels, for the first time since his debut, his skin tightening now that he’s aware of being the sole character out of the band for the rest of the music video.

 

The director doesn’t shout cut like Kyuhyun expects him to when he freezes, but Donghae notices the tension seeping into him by how stiff his body becomes.

 

“For a kid, you’ve got a mature looking face,” the male attempts to distract him by teasing him again, head angled just a little so it will be hard to clearly make out what he’s saying.

 

Kyuhyun tries to get his head focused, but the heavy weight of the lights and the presence of the camera and the staff watching them is killing his every attempt to get into character.

 

Just when he honestly thinks the director is going to shout cut, Donghae surprises him by poking his nose.

 

His nose. Of all the places he could prod, he chose Kyuhyun’s nose.

 

Kyuhyun is aware of his jaw dropping a little, a surprised look gracing his face as Donghae giggles, doing it again.

 

“You’ll catch flies,” Donghae teases as he taps Kyuhyun’s jaw, and Kyuhyun can feel the burn to his cheeks as he shies away from the touch, pushing the other playfully so that it makes Donghae laugh, the camera capturing it all.

 

Kyuhyun can’t seem to get the heat under control, so he grabs the pillow and tries to whack the older male, making him laugh louder as he tries to block Kyuhyun.

 

And when he does block it, Kyuhyun uses that moment to act too, feeling himself slipping into his role much more comfortably now.

 

Donghae blinks at him in surprise as Kyuhyun prods his nose lightly, grinning back at him.

 

Kyuhyun is thankful for their previous joking around prior to the start of filming, even if it was brief, it clearly is helping with how more relaxed they get, their ridiculous acts of affection turning into bickering as they move around the space as they use the props.

 

So far, they haven’t been called to stop, so whatever they’re showing must be good, and as Kyuhyun once again tries to break around the older male that was currently hogging the iPad they were meant to be watching together, he finds himself reaching out and doing something he hasn’t done in years.

 

Donghae lets out the loudest shriek known to mankind as he drops the iPad, practically launching himself to the other side of the room as Kyuhyun stands there gawping at him.

 

Donghae points a warning finger at him. “No tickling.”

 

Kyuhyun steps forward, grinning.

 

Donghae’s expression turns panicked, finger wagging harder. “Kyuhyun, no.”

 

The second Kyuhyun lunges forward, the second shriek sounds over the music as Donghae shoves the nearest prop into Kyuhyun’s way before he takes off, running from him.

 

Kyuhyun can dimly hear the staff laugh at their antics as Kyuhyun practically chases the older male around the space, both of them shouting at each to stay still, with Kyuhyun laughing manically whilst Donghae makes panicky yelps when Kyuhyun begins to chase him again.

 

When Kyuhyun does manage to snag a hand onto the older male’s arm, he finds himself completely thrown off his feet as he’s yanked off balance due to them running around the sofa.

 

Startled, the air knocked out of him as he lies sprawled on his back on the floor, Donghae’s concerned face hovers over him.

 

“You okay?” the male asks, hand reaching out to help Kyuhyun up.

 

The climax of the end to the song builds, and Kyuhyun times it as he reaches out to accept the male’s hand.

 

With a sharp tug, Kyuhyun pulls and catches the older male as he tumbles down onto him, hands catching his fall on either side of Kyuhyun’s shoulders.

 

As Kyuhyun mouths if this is okay, and Donghae subtly nods, Kyuhyun watches as the male shifts his position so that it looks more natural on camera, as if they have been in this position a hundred times, when today is the first time.

 

Kyuhyun can see the camera crane panning low to capture their side profiles, the front of the white leather sofa a perfect blocked background for the take.

 

Kyuhyun finds himself reaching up, feeling strangely at ease with how comfortable he feels with having a stranger sit on top of him, when usually he freezes up the first couple of times, and brushes the male’s fringe so it lies more smoothly.

 

Donghae smiles down at him, playing his role perfectly in the way he presses back to Kyuhyun’s touch.

 

It’s only natural for Kyuhyun to smile back, his body feeling light, his mind clear of anything other than the fact that Donghae looks really pretty when he smiles like that.

 

The song grows, the last forty seconds of it approaching, and Kyuhyun finds himself sitting up slowly, his eyes never leaving Donghae’s.

 

Donghae doesn’t move, doesn’t lean away.

 

He waits, his own gaze fixed to Kyuhyun’s.

 

Kyuhyun can feel the air of anticipation building, but he doesn’t even know why or what he is doing.

 

His body is the one reacting, and Kyuhyun is merely enjoying the ride.

 

As he cups Donghae’s cheeks, the older male rests his forehead to Kyuhyun’s, and such an intimate action would have Kyuhyun flustered and stuttering by now, breaking character, but here he is, sitting perfectly at ease, with his eyes slipping shut.

 

He didn’t even notice that Donghae smells good, how soft his clear skin feels, and how despite his solid looking build, he’s quite light on top of him.

 

Kyuhyun has never felt this at ease with a fellow actor before, never in all of his training has he been able to connect this quickly, to even do such actions without breaking face.

 

It’s exhilarating, and as the song hits the perfect mark of the ending where their vocals and instruments rip the last dregs of emotion out of you, he feels the ghost of softness to his lips.

 

“Cut!”

 

And as the music fades, Kyuhyun realises that he and Donghae were kissing.

 

The sound of the music vanishing along with the director’s voice has Kyuhyun freezing.

 

As the sounds of the crew start again, Kyuhyun slowly pulls from the softness against his lips and locks gazes with an equally shocked Donghae.

 

And just like that, the lightness to his body, the ease he had felt throughout the scene, vanishes.

 

Kyuhyun jerks away as Donghae scrambles to get up too, both of them refusing to look at the other as they try to put enough distance between them.

 

Kyuhyun’s heart is trying to claw its way out of his chest, and Kyuhyun finds his skin too hot, the clothes over it aggravating him.

 

“What was that?” the director demands softly as he comes over to them, and Kyuhyun honestly hasn’t got a clue what the hell just happened.

 

“Must’ve just got too close,” he hears Donghae excuse, and Kyuhyun looks over at the male, who has done a better job at composing himself. “Did it ruin the shot?”

 

Kyuhyun pulls at the collar of his sweater, distracted, as the director sighs. “We can cut it before it, allude to it. We don’t want Kyuhyun’s fanbase to come after you for kissing their rocker.”

 

Kyuhyun is once again late on joining in with the laughter, and as the director suggests for them to work on just face focused shots, Kyuhyun finds his mind buzzing slightly.

 

And during the scenes where he and Donghae have to react to each other so that only their faces can be captured, he finds that the buzzing doesn’t dim, and neither does the way his skin itches.

 

By the time their scenes are done, the director wants to redo a few of the band scenes, and Kyuhyun can feel himself struggling to find focus.

 

When Donghae bids them a good job on shooting before he leaves, his job done, Kyuhyun is the only one to remain silent as he watches the older male bow and leave.

 

And for the remainder of the shoot, he can’t get the model out of his head.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will be Wednesday!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this early because I won't have time on Wednesday (just wait until you see the end notes, then you will understand why), so enjoy the early update! It's a biggy ^-^

 

 

 

 

 

“You look like death,” Minho frowns, and Kyuhyun grunts at him as he slumps into the seat of the van. “What time did you get to sleep?”

 

“I didn’t,” Kyuhyun mumbles, his entire body achy. “I couldn’t get my mind to shut up.”

 

“That’s what happens when you make out with the hired help,” Changmin chortles from the front of the van.

 

Kyuhyun kicks the back of the male’s seat. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” he growls out. “We just accidently brushed lips.”

 

“Whatever you say,” Changmin dismisses, flicking through girl group songs. “I saw the playback footage. You totally kissed on purpose.”

 

Minho saves Changmin’s life by holding Kyuhyun back.

 

Minho reels back, shocked, when Kyuhyun winces at the touch. “You okay?”

 

Kyuhyun rubs the area the younger male had touched. “Like I said, I feel achy.”

 

Minho stares at him. “Achy,” he repeats, watching him. “How achy?”

 

Kyuhyun stares at him for the obscure question. “What?”

 

“Does your skin feel tender?”

 

“The fuck are you even talking about, Minho?”

 

“Hyung, answer the question, does your skin feel like it’s going to break?”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. “No, it doesn’t.”

 

Kyuhyun bats the male’s hand away before it can even touch him. “What-”

 

“I was just going to feel for a temp,” the younger male calmly defends.

 

“I am not sick,” Kyuhyun enunciates clearly. “If I was, we all would be.”

 

“That warehouse was cold, and we all know how vulnerable you are because you’re such a delicate thing,” Changmin retorts, looking back at them in the mirror as he fixes his hair.

 

“I’m going to kill you,” Kyuhyun promises, though the threat is weak since he shudders a little. “By the end of this day, your fans are going to be mourning for you.”

 

Changmin blows a kiss at him.

 

“Hyung…” Minho says softly, having caught the shudder. “Maybe we should-”

 

“I’m fine,” Kyuhyun promises. “I just slept badly. Do you forget that I sleep near the draft?”

 

Minho doesn’t look happy, but as their final band member slips in beside Minho, complaining about the need for hair and makeup being done so early, the topic is dropped.

 

Kyuhyun puts his earphones in, plays a random song to block out his members, and tries to hopefully catch a few hours of sleep before they do their concept photoshoot.

 

 

 

 

 

He does manage to catch a few moments of sleep through the process of travelling to the location and getting his hair and face done, but it wasn’t much, and if anything, it’s made him feel even worse.

 

Even Changmin had backed off a little, showing the male’s concern.

 

“Mate, even with the makeup on, you still look ill,” he says, his blunt personality unable to phrase it any better.

 

Kyuhyun stares at his tired eyes in the reflection of the window they’re currently posing beside, noting the slight redness to them already. “Maybe the eyeliner has irritated them?”

 

Changmin shakes his head. “You just look….off.”

 

“Helpful,” Kyuhyun mutters, trying to improve his posture as they wait for the photographer.

 

“Changmin, can you move closer to Kyuhyun?” their photographer directs, and Kyuhyun swallows a yawn back, not wanting to threaten the eye makeup he has on.

 

But the second Changmin brushes against him, Kyuhyun chokes on the yawn as he hisses in pain, shying away from the male.

 

“Kyuhyun?” both Changmin and their photographer call in concern.

 

Kyuhyun tries to ignore the burning sensation where he had been lightly brushed against, and grits his teeth as he straightens.

 

“Sorry,” he apologises, and the photographer hesitantly brings the camera up to begin their duo shoot.

 

“You need checking out,” he hears Changmin whisper as the first flash goes off.

 

Kyuhyun changes his pose. “I’m fine.”

 

Another flash.

 

“You’re not,” Changmin growls out, concerned as he moves too.

 

Kyuhyun waits until the photographer shifts position to answer back. “I’m just tired, like all of us. I’ll be fine once I get some sleep.”

 

Changmin doesn’t get the chance to answer, because one second, Kyuhyun is standing, back to the window as he poses against it, and the next second, he’s stumbling, catching himself against it.

 

As Changmin and the photographer shout his name in surprise and concern, Kyuhyun can startling feel his energy draining with every passing second, and as he begins to slip down the window, his legs weak, he begins to panic.

 

He can’t get ill. They’re due to have their comeback stage in just over a week. He can’t afford to be ill. He can’t pass out with exhaustion!

 

But as the world dims, the buzzing in his mind that he had grown accustomed to ever since yesterday, grows, and Kyuhyun feels overheated, his head thumping as he tries to not panic.

 

He hears Changmin shout for their manager, and the coldness of the window does very little to help the heat trying to burn from the inside out.

 

He can’t help it when his eyes slip shut, and can’t really respond to the panicked demands for him to wake up.

 

When the world goes silent, Kyuhyun’s mind finally eases as he slips into unconsciousness.

 

 

 

 

 

When he comes to, it’s to a dimly lit room.

 

He can hear the soft sound of something buzzing to the left of him, the sound like a soft vibration of a machine, and as he blinks his heavy eyelids open more, he glances to see what it is.

 

It looks like a heart monitor, but when he glances down at his hand to check for the finger clip, he sees it free of it.

 

What _is_ connected to him is a small white patch to the inside of wrist, placed where his pulse point is.

 

Kyuhyun stares at it, trying to remember if that is the standard for heart monitoring, and then realises something amiss.

 

He turns his head to his right, and does a double take.

 

There, sitting in the chair beside his bed with his head hidden by the way he’s slumped over in sleep, is the model from the music video shoot.

 

Kyuhyun’s eyes drop to stare at Donghae’s hand curled over his own hand.

 

“The fuck?” He whispers, wiggling his hand free, his mind racing with confusion.

 

However, the second he removes Donghae’s hand of his, the machine next to him scares the crap out of him by making a small beep sound.

 

It alerts Donghae, who snaps up straight at the sound, and Kyuhyun stares at the machine, watching as the line that had been steady now dips under the marker.

 

“Why is it making that sound?” Kyuhyun demands, slightly panicked as Donghae grabs his hand again, and Kyuhyun tries to jerk his hand free, gawping at the older male. “What are you-”

 

“It’s an Energy Reader,” Donghae explains, keeping his hold on his hand with both hands, his eyes on the monitor. “It’s monitoring your Soul Energy.”

 

Kyuhyun stares at him, ignoring the shrill beeping. “I…that makes no sense,” he struggles. “I’m not Soul Partnered.”

 

Donghae moves his gaze to Kyuhyun, and Kyuhyun’s stomach sinks at the look in the older male’s eyes.

 

“No,” Kyuhyun whispers, denying the truth as the dots connect in his head. He tugs for his hand to be free. “This-no, we’re _not_ Soul Partners.”

 

Donghae merely tightens his grip, and the longer Kyuhyun looks at him, the more he can see the lines of tiredness, the off colour to his skin compared to how it was yesterday.

 

It’s a good thing Kyuhyun’s heart wasn’t being monitored, it would probably have screamed he was about to go into cardiac arrest due to how erratic it was beating.

 

The beeping finally stops, and Kyuhyun’s head whips to see the line balance out onto the marker again.

 

“Now that you’re awake, we need to get you above the marker for you to be considered stable,” Donghae explains, his voice detached, as if he’s only repeating orders. Maybe he is.

 

Kyuhyun stares at the marker.

 

He yanks his hand free, breaking Donghae’s hold on him due to his suddenness, and avoids the male’s touch as he watches that line sink back under the marker line, once again beeping to alert the drop in connection to the other’s energy.

 

When Donghae grabs his hand again, this time with a tight and slightly painful grip, Kyuhyun watches as that line bobs until it finally hits over the marker line again, the beeping shutting off.

 

The silence is deafening.

 

Kyuhyun looks down at himself, sees that he’s still dressed in the clothes he had worn for the shoot, and wonders how much time has passed.

 

“When…” he starts, but his throat dries, causing the words to stick. “How long?”

 

When he looks over at the model, he’s looking down at their hands.

 

“A couple of hours?” he says simply, shrugging. “I got the call when I was busy puking my guts up.”

 

The call for him to get to the hospital. It’s standard procedure.

 

“So you felt like shit too?” Kyuhyun asks, trying to ease the awkwardness.

 

Donghae nods. “Couldn’t stop vomiting and I was shaking like a leaf. I thought I was running a fever.”

 

“I guess it’s only common sense to put two and two together,” Kyuhyun murmurs. “Sorry.”

 

Donghae finally looks back at him, confused. “Why are you apologising?”

 

Kyuhyun shrugs. “Neither of us want this.”

 

“Yeah, well, it’s not something we can stop now. We just need to keep our Soul Energy high now that it’s been awakened.”

 

“And then we can go back to normal,” Kyuhyun concludes. “Well, as normal as this can get.”

 

Donghae nods, and sighs as he sits back a little into his chair, his grip not so tight on Kyuhyun now.

 

Though he said it, Kyuhyun has no idea if things _can_ go back to normal.

 

From what he can remember of the subject they all had to be taught at school, Soul Partners will recognise each other and will link their Soul Energy so they can be connected again, thus starting what is known as the Reunification. The Transfer then starts due to the constant touching, because _apparently_ when Soul Partners are found, they produce their own Soul Energy to keep connected to the other partner.

 

Kyuhyun sighs, shutting his eyes as he feels his head ache.

 

He honestly doesn’t want this. He doesn’t feel comfortable being….bonded to another human being, a stranger at that. He doesn’t like the idea that he will be connected to another person in such an intimate way.

 

“Get some more rest,” he hears Donghae murmur softly. “We’ll wait to see what the doctors want us to do to make this finish faster.”

 

Kyuhyun chooses to follow the male’s advice, only so he can escape the uncomfortable air surrounding them.

 

And with any luck, this could all be one fucked up dream.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not a dream.

 

And much to Kyuhyun’s chagrin, Kyuhyun can already feel a change to him.

 

He feels better in terms of health, he’s not feeling like shit anymore, but he can feel, sense, something hanging around him, over his skin, lingering at the back of his mind.

 

When he asks the doctor, the male asks if Donghae can feel the same sensation, and when the male slowly nods, the doctor merely grins.

 

“It’s called a Soul Bond,” the old man explains. “Your Transfer has started.”

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t want the stupid thing to start. A Transfer is the imprinting of the emotional bond, and the more their Soul Energy joins and grows, the more it will nurture this bond.

 

“Now, to speed up the Transfer, because I am aware you both have busy schedules, the more you touch, the faster it will go,” the doctor says as he makes a note of Kyuhyun’s monitor.

 

“How come Donghae isn’t hooked up?” Kyuhyun asks. It’s bugged him ever since he woke up and noticed it. “Why is it just me?”

 

“Your Soul was the one to make the connection to Donghae’s, which explains why you lost consciousness. You were becoming Energy Starved. That is why you’re hooked up. We need to monitor how prone you are to needing Energy.”

 

All Kyuhyun can understand from that is that Changmin has been right all along; he is a vulnerable soul.

 

He’s going to have Kyuhyun’s life the second he hears that.

 

As Kyuhyun quietly dies on the inside at this news, the doctor happily carries on.

 

“Hugging is the best way to encourage Soul Energy to transfer and grow. The more you touch, the more intimate you become, the better you’re going to feel because, whilst your Soul Energy is your Soul’s life force, it’s a direct link to your own health. So, keep your Soul Energy high, and you will never be ill.”

 

Kyuhyun almost wants to cry as he dumbly takes the male’s words in.

 

He’s not only managed to somehow trigger this stupid phenomenon, but he has to _cuddle_ the model that only yesterday he had to pretend to be Soul Partnered to. The same model who he had kissed, because at the time it felt like the most natural thing in the world, and that was because some ancient fuckery had decided that it was.

 

“But doesn’t that also increase us bonding further?” Kyuhyun asks, not ready to accept his fate yet. “Can’t we just hold hands to keep the bonding at bay?”

 

The doctor’s face is quick to hide his opinion of how Kyuhyun is reacting, but he still sees it, see the judgement in the male’s eyes that he’s trying to reject something that society seems to crave for.

 

“You can hold hands, but like I said, it will mean the Transfer is slow to finish.”

 

Kyuhyun glances over at Donghae. “My schedules will be cancelled due to this so they can figure out how to hide it, how about yours?”

 

“My next job isn’t until the end of the week,” the older male says.

 

“That gives us a couple of days,” Kyuhyun says, turning back to the doctor. “Will the Transfer be complete within that time if we just hold hands?”

 

The doctor looks like he doesn’t want to admit it, but he nods tersely. “Possibly. Though, I do advise you to-”

 

“Neither of us want this,” Kyuhyun cuts in. “We don’t want the emotional bond as well as having to rely on each other to keep the other alive.”

 

“Platonic Soul Bonds do exist, right?” Donghae asks, though his tone is confident.

 

The doctor, again, nods. “Though we haven’t got enough evidence to-”

 

“All we have to do is meet up every so often to keep our Soul Energy stable, right?” the older male continues, and Kyuhyun watches the model easily discuss their situation. “We have no reason to encourage the emotional bond, correct?”

 

“Well, Soul Partners find it easier to have a stable bond because it is easier to maintain Soul Energy that way,” the doctor explains, slightly flustered. “You will still be bonded, just-”

 

“We won’t be intimately bonded through emotions,” Kyuhyun finishes, and he’s smiling with relief. “On paper, we’re technically Soul Partnered, but in reality…”

 

“We can live our lives as normal as it can be,” Donghae finishes, smiling a little too. “We’ll just have to meet up either fortnightly or weekly to shake hands,” he teases, and for the first time since this bomb was dropped on them, they’re relaxed and comfortable again.

 

“No one will ever have to know,” Kyuhyun says, almost with glee. “You can be my newly adopted model friend.”

 

Donghae laughs at that, nipping the back of Kyuhyun’s hand that he’s holding still. “Does this mean I can get free tickets to your shows?”

 

“Don’t push your luck,” Kyuhyun scoffs, though he’s still grinning.

 

They turn back to the silent doctor who had been studying their interaction.

 

“We’ll need another bed,” Donghae says as he stretches slightly. “My back is killing from sleeping in this chair.”

 

“Or maybe it’s because you’re old?” Kyuhyun suggests. “You never did tell me your age.”

 

Donghae taps his nose. “You already have my soul, and now you want to know my age? Shouldn’t a thing no longer matter?”

 

Kyuhyun actually cringes at the male’s teasing. “Okay, no. Don’t say that ever again.”

 

Donghae laughs, and Kyuhyun looks back at the doctor who is still watching them.

 

He frowns as he catches the smile quickly vanish from the male’s face.

 

Whatever. As long as he doesn’t have to form that dreaded emotional bond, Kyuhyun will sit in this hospital room for as long as it takes for the Soul Energy to heal him.

 

He’s already had a brief taste of what Energy Starvation is, and he isn’t in any hurry to repeat it.

 

 

 

 

 

“Your skin is glowing,” the makeup artist praises, and Kyuhyun is glad his eyes are already shut, otherwise they would have shown his panic. “Your stay in the hospital is just what you needed.”

 

“It’s amazing what nearly twenty-four hours of sleep can do for your complexion,” he lies, laughing it off, and the male artist laughs too.

 

Kyuhyun almost sags with relief when the male moves onto another topic.

 

Only his band and the company knows of Kyuhyun’s….change of status. The story they had to make up to cover Kyuhyun’s absence and also the pushed back date of their teasers being released was that Kyuhyun had merely fainted from overworking himself on the new single.

 

It was simple, close enough to some truth, and while some of the fans were pissed that the company were ‘overworking’ them, Kyuhyun’s secret was safe.

 

Although, his band members are still giggling over the fact that their concept came true.

 

“Try not to faint on us today,” Changmin sniggers from beside him. “Such a fragile soul, aren’t you? It completely goes against your rocker-ow!”

 

Kyuhyun crosses his leg again, happy with being able to kick him accurately.

 

Though, he better get used to the slight digs, because once their comeback hits high gear, they’re going to be ruthless with them, and he’s going to have to refrain from killing his members on camera.

 

 

 

 

 

As they get closer to their comeback, the concept pictures taken for the release as well as the physical copy of their single, Kyuhyun only has had to meet Donghae a handful of times.

 

Both of them were still learning the signs and symptoms of having low Soul Energy, but both had recognised the key fact that the faint sensation of that bond lingering inside them starts to buzz in the back of their heads.

 

They’ve dubbed it as their ‘Warning’ buzz.

 

Kyuhyun jolts, startled, as their manager barks his name. “W-what?”

 

The older male sighs, and it’s only then that Kyuhyun notices his band members looking skittish.

 

“What….” He says slowly, not liking how Minho avoids his gaze. “What did I just miss?”

 

The answer comes in the form of Changmin pointing to the folded piece of paper that Kyuhyun has yet to open.

 

 _Oh._ They had all chosen randomly who will be the member to join a new variety show.

 

Kyuhyun freezes, and then snatches the piece of paper, praying that this is a joke.

 

Seeing the word ‘winner!” in Minho’s stupid handwriting just knocks all the air from his lungs.

 

He looks up at the others. “I can’t be on that show.”

 

“None of us do,” Changmin says. “Who wants to be surrounded by cameras 24/7?”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. “I can’t. You guys know _why_ I can’t,” he hisses, throwing the piece of paper down.

 

“The publicity will do the group good-” the manager starts, and Kyuhyun cuts in before the male can even start.

 

“So get a member who has no other work to do it,” he hisses. “I’ve just finished my temp role as a talk show host. Give another member a chance.”

 

“Minho is awkward, he can’t manage his reactions well enough yet, and Changmin-”

 

“I’ll end up fighting with an idol, you know I will, Kyuhyun,” Changmin cuts in. “And this dude will end up causing a scandal for _getting with_ an idol,” he adds, clapping their other band member on the back.

 

“So use this chance for the pair of you to learn some restraint,” Kyuhyun hisses.

 

“You’re technically the leader,” the manager steps back in, and Kyuhyun groans at the male’s argument. “You know how to play to the camera, you know how to speak.”

 

“One, we all agreed I wasn’t the ‘leader’, I’m just the oldest,” Kyuhyun lectures, annoyed because the whole point of their group was for them to have equal standing, and this currently is not an equal standing. “Second, this show’s entire premise is to watch your every move, how am I meant to hide when I start to feel like I’m starting to lack Soul Energy?”

 

“We could get Donghae to be one of the other house members,” Changmin snorts, joking, but then he freezes, and Kyuhyun knows he’s fucked as the male straightens.

 

“No.” Kyuhyun states, glaring at the excited male. “No way.”

 

“Oh, come on!” Changmin complains. “They will never know, they will just think you guys are affectionate, that the skinship is natural!”

 

“I refuse the role,” Kyuhyun says, standing. “I’m not doing it, it’s too much of a risk, so one of you three better grow some balls and agree to do it, because I am not.”

 

And with that being said, he storms from the room.

 

They can’t expect him to do this. It’s just asking for trouble.

 

 

 

 

 

The second he steps into the ultra-modern house, Kyuhyun can feel every hair on his body stand on end as he notices three cameras at once, lurking, watching their every move.

 

Kyuhyun keeps his face at ease, curious, as he pulls his suitcase behind him after neatly taking his shoes off at the front door.

 

Seeing the clinical white walls and the sharp artsy furniture that were from the sponsored designers supporting this shambles of a show, Kyuhyun feels even more freaked as he takes in the space.

 

“Hello?” He calls out, hearing no signs of the other house guests.

 

When he gets no response, he leaves his suitcase near the staircase that leads up as well as down to the other floors, and goes from room to room, inspecting the space.

 

For the next month and a half, this will be his home. He’ll be going to his schedules from here, and returning here at the end. His dorm is now off limits.

 

Kyuhyun counts the visible cameras he can see, committing to memory where they are for future reference.

 

The whole point of this show was to bridge the gaps between the different areas of the entertainment industry, to show some solidarity. Kyuhyun was expecting idols, both new and old, producers, actors, comedians, possibly some high fashion models.

 

Kyuhyun swallows. He knows Donghae won’t be part of the show. He had made sure of that when he agreed to do this for their group image.

 

He had vaguely already made the model aware of his change of circumstances for the next month and a bit, and the older male had just assured him that everything would still be the same since they were already careful covering their tracks.

 

Even more so now that their promotions were underway and their fans had taken a liking to the chemistry that they had showed in the music video. Kyuhyun was paranoid that it would get out onto social media whenever he and Donghae would meet up and cast one huge spotlight on the strange relationship that they have.

 

As the front door beeps open, Kyuhyun makes his way to greet the stranger who he will be sharing a home with.

 

For the next couple of hours, more of the soon to be twelve house members arrive. Kyuhyun is used to noise due to his rowdy band members, but as the house slowly fills with more personalities, Kyuhyun feels strangely at ease by it.

 

“Shall we finally open this now to see who our roomies are?” One of the three idols asks, excited.

 

As they all huddle around the glass holding the thin bits of folded paper, Kyuhyun prays for the poor soul who will be sharing with him.

 

As he mentions about his snoring, with a fellow acting chipping in with his own noise disturbance habit, they all laugh as they compare the numbers they see on their paper.

 

The noise escalates tenfold with excitement as they all find their roommates and begin the next task of finding their rooms.

 

“I think that’s downstairs,” Siwon, an actor/model, points out as Kyuhyun grabs his suitcase.

 

Kyuhyun squints down at the door number he can see. “Great.”

 

“Not a fan of sleeping underground?” The older male teases, amused as he moves aside for the girls to climb up the staircase.

 

“That hallways screams trouble,” Kyuhyun answers back. “I’ve seen plenty of horror films, I know what the basement areas mean.”

 

Siwon barks out a laugh at that, clapping a hand on his shoulder as he begins to climb the stairs as well.

 

“At least we won’t hear you snoring!” he calls as he effortlessly carries his luggage, despite they were two large suitcases.

 

Kyuhyun sighs and heaves his own as he tries to not trip and fall onto his face.

 

The basement area follows the almost the same plan as the first floor, the entire back of the house is just glass, which makes this downstairs space more comfortable since it’s allowing light in from the back yard.

 

All the basement has is the small lounge area, and four doors. One of those doors is labelled as another bathroom, no doubt for him and his roommate, the other is the washing room for their clothes. Kyuhyun hopes that it isn’t loud otherwise he’s not going to be impressed every time they have to do a load of washing, and the final door has the number that was on Kyuhyun’s paper.

 

After subtly counting the cameras in the area, he heads over to the bedroom to see his room for the first time.

 

It’s small, but not cramped. Kyuhyun shuts the door behind him, and he starts a little at how it shuts out the rest of the house’s noise.

 

He notices the small camera lens in the corner, and turns his back to it as he wonders if he should choose a bed now, or wait to see if his roommate has a preference for a certain side to sleep on.

 

Not like it matters, the beds are single and pushed up on either side of the walls, allowing just enough space for them to move around.

 

Kyuhyun decides he’ll leave it and drags his case to the middle of the space so he can start to unpack.

 

To kill the silence, he plays music from his phone, a mix of his band’s stuff to promote it, as well as some of his personal taste in music.

 

He gets so engrossed into organising how his clothes hang in the small shared closet, that when the click of the door opening happens, he just dismisses it.

 

It’s when a loud bang happens, like something being dropped, that Kyuhyun jumps, heart launching up into his throat as he glances to see why.

 

“Camera,” Donghae hisses out as Kyuhyun’s jaw drops, and Kyuhyun watches the brief surprise leave the male’s face as he bows at Kyuhyun, acting for the camera since this is supposed to be the first time they’ve met since the music video.

 

Kyuhyun starts to panic, wondering how much audio the mics in the room will pick up, and just dumbly bows back as Donghae shuts the door behind him after picking up his suitcase that he had dropped due to his surprise.

 

“There were only two pieces of paper left,” Kyuhyun says as they both awkwardly stand, watching each other.

 

Donghae glances briefly up at the camera, noting its location. “Must’ve been fate,” he says cheerfully, playing up to it, though his gaze is warning Kyuhyun to do so too.

 

Kyuhyun shuffles over to his open case so he can make room for the other male. “I, er, I didn’t know which bed you may have wanted so I waited.”

 

Donghae slowly follows, but keeps distance between them.

 

Not that it really matters. Kyuhyun feels like his skin is too aware of the male, and that buzzing feeling at the back of his mind is softly vibrating with the awareness the more time passes, just how it usually does when he’s around the male.

 

“I’ll take the right,” Donghae says carefully, polite, ever aware of the camera. “If that’s okay?”

 

Kyuhyun almost stumps his toe. “Y-you’re the hyung,” he reminds him. “You can have whatever you want.”

 

Donghae’s mouth opens, and for one fleeting second, Kyuhyun thinks the male is going to make one of his teasing comments.

 

“You can talk comfortably around me,” he says, and Kyuhyun almost sags with relief as he watches the male’s back as he heaves his suitcase onto his chosen bed. “I don’t mind.”

 

 _But I do_ , Kyuhyun whines desperately to himself. He needs all the help he can get to keep anything familiar creeping through and showing on camera.

 

“I’ll give you some space to unpack,” Kyuhyun says, injecting brightness into his voice as he edges away. “We’re going to be having dinner soon, so I’ll shout for you?”

 

Donghae nods, smiling at him.

 

Kyuhyun practically flees.

 

 _Camera to my left, and one just up the stairs_ , he reminds himself to not break face, and wanders over to the glass, hoping that maybe with his back to the cameras, he can have a moment for it to sink in.

 

His company not only lied and conned him into doing this stupid show, but by a cruel twist of fate, he’s sharing the same room as his Soul Partner.

 

“Changmin’s going to fucking love this,” Kyuhyun whispers to himself, low enough for it not to be picked up.

 

How is he meant to not only survive living with his every move watched, but also to make sure he and Donghae don’t stupidly reveal their relationship.

 

Kyuhyun swallows, stomach clenching with unease. The last thing he wants is to encourage the emotional bond to grow, and he’s worried that by living in each other’s pockets it’s going to allow it to happen. He knows touching is the main key for the bond growing, but could it be said the same for being around each other?

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t know.

 

His moment of despair passes, and he brings forward his persona he’s developed for the camera.

 

He just has to think of the next month and a bit as one long acting role. He’s a decent enough actor, so if he can just act like everything is fine, then their little secret will remain just that.

 

But as Kyuhyun heads up the stairs, he pauses briefly with a sudden thought, which is thankfully covered as a few of the house members come from upstairs.

 

As he smiles at them and join them into the kitchen, he’s only just realised the huge gaping hole in his plan.

 

He doesn’t know Donghae. He doesn’t know the male’s fronting ability, nor his limits.

 

Donghae could potentially ruin everything because they don’t know each other well enough in order to cover the other’s back.

 

And that is terrifying.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s late evening, and the majority of the house members are in the living area, enjoying the feast of pizza that they had ordered instead of cooking.

 

Kyuhyun is making friends fast. He doesn’t mind idols, they’re almost the same, just that Kyuhyun’s band has more freedom in what they can and can’t do compared to work, whereas idols don’t. He’s getting on with the three they have, with only two of them technically being his ‘sunbae’, but he’s older than all three of them, so it was fun to find their feet in terms of how comfortably they should address each other.

 

Siwon seems to have taken a fancy to Kyuhyun, because he hasn’t left Kyuhyun’s side since they all converged into the living area.

 

He can hear the male sharing stories with Donghae, since they’re both in the same area of expertise.

 

“You two have just recently done a job together, right?” Siwon asks, dragging Kyuhyun into the discussion.

 

Kyuhyun swallows the mouthful of water he had just taken with care, and nods.

 

“Oh yeah, I saw that mv!” one of the older females join in as well. “The song is currently my ringtone.”

 

Kyuhyun thanks her, cheeks warm from the compliment.

 

“So they’re cheating,” one of the comedians butts in, grinning. “They know each other already.”

 

“I wouldn’t say we know each other,” Kyuhyun tries to laugh off. “We only worked with each other the once. Besides, these three know each other too,” he gestures to the idols.

 

The comedian waves that part off. “The video was cute, sappy.”

 

Kyuhyun pulls a face at the last word, causing them all to laugh.

 

“I guess calling a rock song ‘sappy’ can be insulting?” Siwon teases, nudging him.

 

Kyuhyun cringes away from the nudge before it can touch him, using his reaching for another slice of pizza as an excuse.

 

The beginnings of a video plays, and all of them look to see one of the idols sharing their phone with the two oldest house members.

 

Kyuhyun’s face burns as his voice starts, which amuses some of the others.

 

“It’s horrible having your work played in front of you, isn’t it?” one of the other actors sympathise with him. “You don’t know how to act.”

 

“Wait, this _is_ sappy,” the oldest female states, still watching the video. “Oh my god, you both look-”

 

“Please, stop. Oh my god,” Kyuhyun whines, wanting to hide as they all huddle around the device to get a refresher. “It’s not meant to be sappy.”

 

“You two have a natural chemistry,” someone compliments, and Kyuhyun shoves the rest of pizza slice into his mouth to avoid having to respond.

 

“Of course we do. We’re amazing actors,” Donghae jests, causing Siwon to laugh.

 

Kyuhyun just continues to chomp on his food, trying to think up a new topic far far _far_ away from anything concerning himself and Donghae.

 

“It must only show on camera, because right now, you two look so awkward.”

 

“What do you expect,” the comedian butts in again, moving back to their spot. “The concept demands it.”

 

They receive multiple pitying looks at that. “Of all the concepts, it had to be the dreaded Soul Partners.”

 

Kyuhyun can hear a slight ringing in his ears.

 

“Even we haven’t had to do that yet,” one of the idols says.

 

“No wonder you had to sell it hard,” another comments. “How do you sell an ancient love for each other?”

 

Kyuhyun swallows his food roughly, almost choking as his entire body tingles with panic.

 

“A bit of playful banter and a lot of smiling,” Donghae answers with such ease that Kyuhyun has to look at the male too, along with the others. “As long as it doesn’t look stiff, the audience will see what they want to see.”

 

“Deep,” Siwon comments, impressed. “You don’t look the sort.”

 

Donghae scoffs at that, biting into his own pizza slice.

 

Luckily, the conversation is turned into another direction as one of the idols’ songs is played, and the house members demand an impromptu performance of it.

 

Kyuhyun glances back at the model whilst everyone is distracted, and sees Donghae smiling as he claps along with the others.

 

Maybe he doesn’t have to worry.

 

Donghae catches his eye and Kyuhyun whips his head away.

 

Kyuhyun chastises his heart for the rapid thumping it’s currently doing due to being caught as he forces himself to stop being so aware of the other male.

 

Maybe, they’ll be alright.

 

Hopefully.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitions (* - marked, most commonly used throughout the fic)
> 
> 1\. _Soul (not my own definition, you can thank the dictionary for this):_ regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body. The spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come. The emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.
> 
> 2\. _Soul Partners*:_ A Soul’s other half(ves). A Soul Partner may just have one other, or more. 
> 
> 3\. _Soul Bond:_ it can be romantic or platonic. Bond allows the Soul Partner(s) to share emotions and a sense of awareness to the other(s). 
> 
> 4\. _Soul Energy*:_ Soul’s life force. It is directly linked to their partner(s), and is only awakened when rejoined. It feeds the Bond, helps nurture each other’s soul, and also to keep each other healthy in general. 
> 
> 5\. _Energy Starvation:_ Links with the Transfer. Souls are reconnecting, and in the process, it will influence the body too. During the Transfer, Energy Starvation is dangerous because it is so easy to not get enough of physical contact whilst souls try to rejoin. If Energy Starvation occurs and lingers, the body will begin to deteriorate. If help isn’t sought, the soul that is suffering the starvation the most will die first. Soul Partners cannot starve alone, all that is bonded will starve too. 
> 
> 6\. _Transfer:_ Happens during the initial stages of reunifying of the souls. Transfer indicates to the imprint of the love that each soul carries for the other. This love is transferred during the constant physical touching. It builds the emotional bond (aka Soul Bond).
> 
> 7\. _Reunification:_ The act of Soul Partners accomplishing in finding the other and beginning the Transfer. It is the action of souls becoming one again.
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know if anything is unclear (if something doesn't match from the text in the fic) and I'll edit the definitions to make them more readable! 
> 
> I'll be adding more in later chapters! Remember, these are here just for you to refer to, the fic should do the talking for you so you will understand everything about this AU as it progresses ^-^


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

 

The only time Kyuhyun really sees Donghae is just as he’s about to face plant his bed, and the older male watches him, having been woken up by Kyuhyun’s entrance into the room, even though Kyuhyun is as silent as he can be.

 

Those are the only times they see each other. Come the morning, Donghae is always gone and Kyuhyun is rushing out of the door to get to whatever schedule they need to travel to.

 

Now, this should be a good thing, right?

 

Wrong. The whole point of him being on this show was to actually show his face in it, mingle with the other celebrities, and get the band’s name out a little more.

 

And as he enters the second week, his manager pulls him aside before he can drag his tired ass inside.

 

“Tomorrow is your day off,” the male reminds him, and Kyuhyun just mumbles and nods at him, too tired to process the implications of the words.

 

“Try to mingle with your housemates,” the older male adds on as Kyuhyun puts in the key code for the gate.

 

“Sleep and mingle. Got it.”

 

“And, maybe also talk to Dong-”

 

Kyuhyun swallows a yawn as the gate shuts behind him, and he squints up at the windows to see which lights are on as he climbs the stone steps up to the house.

 

He can hear the sound of a TV playing as he shoves off his shoes, and he follows the sound up to the top floor where the huge device is in the open area on this floor.

 

“Evening,” Siwon greets, the first one to notice Kyuhyun coming up the stairs, and the other three join in.

 

Kyuhyun bows, almost topples to the floor because the pull of gravity was too much for his exhausted body, and trips as he catches his balance as he greets them back.

 

He grunts softly as a pair of hands grab him and steady him.

 

“Thanks,” Kyuhyun mumbles, but the sudden unexpected surge of energy in his body has his tired mind snapping to attention.

 

As he jerks back from Donghae, the other three giggle as he almost falls again.

 

“Sit your ass down before you fall,” Siwon laughs, kicking over the spare beanbag.

 

Kyuhyun can still feel the older male’s touch to his skin, the brief contact of energy leaving his body lagging with confusion.

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. “I’m gonna head for bed,” he says, heading back the way he came.

 

“I’ll help,” Donghae gently says, and Kyuhyun glances over at him in a panic as the older male gets up.

 

“I can manage a few stairs.”

 

“I was going down anyway, so I may as well help make sure you don’t,” Donghae shrugs, coming over to him.

 

Kyuhyun notices the curious audience they have, and forces himself to not flee as he bows once again, bidding them all goodnight.

 

As they shout for him to have sweet dreams, Kyuhyun can feel the gaze of Donghae on him as he goes down the two flights of stairs.

 

As Kyuhyun pushes open their door, hand automatically reaching out for the light switch, he chokes on a surprised inhale as a hand grabs his, stopping him.

 

“The dark will hide us for a while,” Donghae whispers as he carefully guides Kyuhyun’s stunned form into their room. “How long have you been feeling drained?”

 

Kyuhyun hisses as he catches his leg on something and both of them still, hoping the mic in the room hasn’t caught it.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t want to admit it, but with Donghae being so close, his hand just holding his in a slightly slack grip, it’s already making the ache in his bones lessen.

 

Kyuhyun sighs as quietly as he can when he feels Donghae squeeze his hand for an answer.

 

“A few days,” he admits.

 

Donghae makes a displeased sound. “Idiot. You’re working harder lately, you should’ve known better.”

 

Kyuhyun does know this. He’s just an idiot who is terrified of their secret getting out.

 

“I’m going to shut the door to, but not properly. We can sit on the floor, allow you to regain some energy,” Donghae whispers slowly and carefully, the male’s breath puffing out onto the back of Kyuhyun’s neck.

 

Kyuhyun makes a sound to show he heard and hopes the male doesn’t notice the slight shudder his body makes.

 

He feels Donghae press close against him, and it only last for a split second, but that split second causes Kyuhyun’s eyes to slip shut as a trickle of warmth spreads through his cold body.

 

Donghae guides them to the floor, and once they’re settled so that the male can keep an eye on the crack of the door to listen for anyone coming down the stairs, Kyuhyun rests his head against the wall beside it, holding the male’s hand.

 

And just like that, they sit in the dark, silent, gathering Soul Energy from each other.

 

Kyuhyun can feel the bond niggling at the back of his head, can feel it pulsate with the added energy and proximity to the model.

 

He ignores it, and just allows the silence to wrap around him.

 

He doesn’t know when he did, but he must’ve drifted off to sleep.

 

And the only reason he is awake is because he has a painful crick in his neck.

 

As he moves to ease the pain, the scent of Donghae is a lot closer than he remembers it being.

 

Kyuhyun’s heart thumps, and he slowly turns his head, feeling the softness of material under his skin, but as well as the firmness of a shoulder bone.

 

“You awake?” he hears Donghae murmur, voice low and deep, as if he’s just woken up too.

 

Kyuhyun jerks away, hissing as his neck sings with pain from having rested it on the older male’s shoulder.

 

“Crawl to your bed. I’m going to pretend that I’m only coming in now,” Donghae continues to murmur, and he can feel the male shifting.

 

He gladly crawls away, his heart hammering in his chest as he feels better than he has done in weeks.

 

_It’s because we were so close_ , he summarises. _We only hold hands which allows a controlled dose of energy to seep between us. Sleeping on him, being pressed so close to him, must’ve doubled it._

 

Kyuhyun tries to silently remove his jeans, since he can’t comfortably sleep in them, and hears the sound of Donghae moving around outside.

 

As he drags the duvet over him, Kyuhyun hears the door open more noticeably now, making enough sound for the mic to pick it up.

 

“Kyuhyun?” Donghae fake whispers, pretending to check on him for the camera’s benefit.

 

Kyuhyun makes a disgruntled sound, moves around in his bed to alert he’s in it, and waits to see what Donghae does next.

 

He hears the click of the door shutting properly this time, and Kyuhyun knows the male is still in the room due to the awareness he has for the other, which seems stronger now that he’s got energy again.

 

He listens to the male move near the space between their beds, the soft sounds of a duvet being pulled back, and the soft sound of a mattress giving to weight.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t know how long he listens for more sounds, but when he can make out the clear sounds of sleep from the older male, Kyuhyun settles more into his bed, relaxing.

 

It isn’t long before he joins him.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes, having a bedroom with no window can be heaven. It means you can sleep without any sunlight waking you up, or any lights from outside during the night. It also means that waking up is the hardest thing to do when your room is practically a cave.

 

Someone must’ve put a load of washing on, because he can hear the thumping of it.

 

He groans, unwilling to leave the blessed sleep he was having.

 

But now that he is semiconscious, his stomach chooses that moment to demand for food.

 

“Later,” he moans, ignoring the cry of hunger coming from his stomach.

 

His stomach growls again, and he tries to twist his body to prevent the sound from being so loud in the silent room.

 

He has no luck, however, because he can’t find the pull of sleep anymore.

 

Groaning in misery at having his how many hours of sleep ruined, Kyuhyun sits up, his hair in his face as he stares into the darkness of the room, the only bit of light is coming from the cracks around the door frame.

 

Kyuhyun drags himself from his bed, and half walks, half stumbles to the door.

 

He hisses as the light blinds him, and he hides behind the door so he can slowly adjust to the light.

 

“Afternoon, sleepyhead,” the comedian teases, and Kyuhyun peeks his head around the crack to see her at the windows.

 

“Whoa, someone had a fight in his sleep,” she laughs as he shows her his true state. “You should go on stage with that hairstyle.”

 

Kyuhyun grunts at her, squinting as he heads for the bathroom.

 

Kyuhyun pulls a disgusted face as he takes care of his business when he realises he not only slept in stage makeup, but also forgot to brush his teeth.

 

No wonder he feels so disgusting. It’s because he is.

 

He decides to take a shower now, knowing it’ll help wake him up, but also make him feel more human.

 

As he washes, he reaches blindly for one of the two bottles of shower gel in the shower cubicle.

 

It isn’t until he’s already lathered up that his nose reminds his brain that whilst the scent is indeed nice, it isn’t _their_ scent.

 

Kyuhyun just has a moment of silence with himself, the shower still raining down on his frozen profile, as he processes the fact he’s just used _Donghae’s_ shower gel, and is now going to smell similar to the male.

 

“Fuck sake,” he whines as he washes the suds off, too lazy to rewash with his own shower gel.

 

It’s not like anyone will notice or care.

 

Okay, maybe Donghae might if he gets close enough or sees the difference in his bottle.

 

Kyuhyun just sighs like the world is out to get him, and finishes his shower to take care of his face.

 

He has acne prone skin, so he has to take good care of it, and the fact that he stupidly went to bed with a full face of heavy coverage makeup on is just annoying the hell out of him as he cleanses his face.

 

It’s Donghae’s fault, he decides. Even though Kyuhyun is a grown ass man who can do what he pleases, it is still Donghae’s fault for making his stupid body light and warm due to the Soul Energy they had shared.

 

When he leaves the bathroom, the female is nowhere to be seen, but he can hear the sounds of conversation coming from the direction of the kitchen.

 

He quickly gets dressed, dumps his towel onto the nearest radiator, and heads up the stairs for some of the delicious smelling food.

 

“Won’t the first episode be out soon?” someone asks as Kyuhyun makes a beeline for the nearest vacant seat.

 

Donghae gawps at him in surprise the second Kyuhyun sits down next to him.

 

“Anyone else nervous on how they’ll edit it all?” he asks, ignoring the older male’s reaction as he reaches for some food.

 

A collective agreement sounds.

 

“We have tasks to do this week,” Siwon says as he comes into the room. “These have just arrived.”

 

They all look at the three envelopes the male slaps onto the middle of dining table.

 

“Looks like we’re too boring,” the eldest, and the one cooking, comments.

 

“I think they’re hoping the idols will become close, cause some love lines,” Siwon says as he sits across from Kyuhyun. “That includes you, I guess.”

 

Kyuhyun raises an eyebrow at that. “I’m not classed as an idol.”

 

“Yeah, but you’re basically marketed as one, right?” Siwon answers back as he reaches for some food.

 

Kyuhyun chews his rice slowly. “We’re a band,” he enunciates carefully, eyes locked on the older male. “We’re different.”

 

“The only difference is that you don’t dance around on stage,” someone comments humorously, but Kyuhyun swallows his mouthful hard.

 

Clocking sight of the camera just in the corner, watching over their meal, Kyuhyun reminds himself that what he says here will be edited and broadcasted to look a certain way. A way that could potentially sabotage his band’s work to not be lumped into the ‘idol’ brand.

 

So, he swallows his comment of having free reign over the content they create compared to idols, and allows the conversation to be taken in another direction as one of the idols muse about possible love lines.

 

As he eats, he feels a gaze on him.

 

But he already knows who keeps looking back at him. Donghae isn’t exactly subtle.

 

Before Kyuhyun can hiss for him to stop being so obvious, a sudden flurry of excitement erupts over the table, and he finally focuses back in on the current topic of debate.

 

“Group two will be in charge of decoration, so it’s up to you lot to decide the theme for the party,” one of the elders announces, reading from one of the envelopes that had been dumped onto the table previously.

 

Kyuhyun straightens slightly, a ball of unease spinning in his gut as he notices four of his house members’ separately conversing with each other. The longer he stares, he notices them holding what appears to be a money packet.

 

“-which makes you guys group three. Group three is in charge of the food and drink. You guys get your own budget packet too,” the male finishes, handing it over.

 

Kyuhyun notices Donghae glancing at him again, and that ball of unease spins faster at seeing the resigned look in the male’s stare.

 

“Well then!” Siwon cheerfully exclaims, and both Kyuhyun and Donghae look over at the male to see him grinning as he checks the content of a money packet. “You two, get thinking of what theme we can have for this party.”

 

“Party?” Kyuhyun echoes, completely lost.

 

Siwon glances up at him, still smiling. “When was the last time you partied, Kyuhyun?” he asks cheekily. “I thought rockers party all the time.”

 

Kyuhyun jolts slightly as the chair beside him moves as Amber - one of the idols, sits and he watches as the female starts asking Siwon how much they have to cover the cost.

 

“It’s small, so this Halloween party needs to look amazing on such a cheap budget,” Siwon tells her. “We need a good theme that can be done on a budget, and so the others can match it too.”

 

Kyuhyun sinks back slowly into his chair as Donghae hesitantly leans forward, joining in with the other two on possible ideas.

 

Just when Kyuhyun is doubting the blatant truth in his face, the elder – who he is starting to think is more like a leader at this point, crushes his doubts instantly.

 

“Group two, any ideas yet on a theme?” he hollers, grinning from his own group.

 

“Not yet, but we’ll let you know!” Siwon grins, and returns his attention back to the three of them. “Come on, let’s get our heads into gear and start drafting out ideas.”

 

“This has got to be a joke,” Kyuhyun whispers to himself in disbelief of being stuck with Donghae, again.

 

“What was that, Kyuhyun?” Siwon asks, almost bouncing in his seat as he scrolls through his phone, presumably looking up ideas on Naver.

 

Kyuhyun ignores Donghae stiff profile and plasters a smile on his face as he leans forward to join his group.

 

“Nothing,” he lies. “Now, are we going for tame spooky, or gore?”

 

 

 

 

 

A few hours later, Amber has had to leave for a schedule, leaving the other three in the upstairs lounge area, planning out possible décor things they can buy or make on the cheap.

 

“Leeteuk’s group is just waiting on us for theme ideas so they can get the costumes sorted,” Siwon mumbles, pen tapping against his cheek as he thinks. “If we go full spook, then they can go wild themselves.”

 

“But we also have to bear in mind that it _is_ being broadcasted,” Kyuhyun interrupts from where he’s hanging off the sofa, staring down at his laptop. “We can’t be _too_ wild.”

 

“So….how much fake blood can we get away with before it is deemed unsuitable?” Siwon asks.

 

“Probably like a teaspoon,” Donghae snorts from his spot on the floor too. “What time slot are we showing in, anyway?”

 

“8pm,” Kyuhyun answers, clicking onto another Pinterest board for ideas, and seeing just the same basic crap again.

 

“That’s still too early, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah,” Siwon sighs, looking a little bummed out now as the hours have passed without much success. “If it was past 9, then we could do more.”

 

“Why do I have a feeling we’re going to head down the generic Halloween party décor,” Kyuhyun says as he glares down at a picture of fake spiders and cobwebs.

 

“We have the ideas….just not the freedom,” Donghae attempts to cheer them up. “We just have to compromise somewhere.”

 

“But Halloween is meant to be scary, not censored and tame,” Siwon grumbles. “Compromising is taking away the fun of it.”

 

Kyuhyun almost chokes on taking a breath when he sees it; the perfect theme.

 

“Guys, guys, get over here right now,” he gestures wildly with one hand as he sits up, whilst the other frantically pulls up a word document to start typing out the idea before it can even dare to leave his head.

 

When both demand to know what’s got him so excited as they drop down on either side of him, he clicks back to the two images that had innocently been placed next to each other.

 

“We combine that, with this,” he says, grinning. “That way, we can still get the tension and possible spooks with this,” he points to the image in question. “And we can still have content to be broadcasted with this,” he adds, pointing to the next image.

 

He looks to both of them, waiting for their reaction.

 

Siwon looks like he’s going to burst from excitement, and Donghae looks impressed, smiling a little as he clicks on the images to see the full zoomed in image.

 

“Kyuhyun, you are a genius,” Siwon coos, and surprise both Donghae and Kyuhyun by nipping Kyuhyun’s cheeks before he dives back to his phone. “I need to tell Amber. Save those images and then forward them to our group chat.”

 

“We haven’t got a-”

 

“Give me your Line ID, you too, Donghae,” Siwon cuts in as he furiously types a message to Amber.

 

Kyuhyun hesitantly says it, part stunned by the older male’s enthusiasm, part afraid.

 

“While he’s occupied, should we jot down things we will need in reference to the images?” Donghae suggests after he’s told Siwon his own Line ID.

 

Kyuhyun subtly tries to put space between them in the guise of shifting his laptop better.

 

Whether Donghae notices his intention to keep distance between them or not, the male doesn’t react as he starts to list items that would be needed.

 

As Kyuhyun types it all down, he ignores the way his body fights to relax due to being so close to Donghae, despite Kyuhyun preventing it from doing so.

 

Once Siwon is done, and both Donghae’s and Kyuhyun’s phones have notified them of their new group chat, the next hour flies by as they sort what can be bought cheaply, and what can be crafted to save money.

 

Once that is done, Siwon drags Kyuhyun with him to tell the other two groups of the idea they have.

 

And just like that, their Halloween party is decided.

 

Now it’s time to make it happen.

 

 

 

 

Later that evening, Kyuhyun finds himself in the nearest shopping district, glaring down at his list of items he needs to find or somehow find stuff to craft it.

 

Amber was to meet them in half an hour, coming straight from her schedule, so until then, himself, Siwon, and Donghae were lingering inside the house’s rented car.

 

“We good, then?” Siwon asks one final time as he finishes notifying Amber of their latest update. “I’ll wait here until Amber gets here, then we’ll meet up with you guys in the store. From there, we’ll head for the underground night market and see who the better haggler is out of us.”

 

“We could just wait too,” Kyuhyun aims for casual. The way Donghae slightly stiffens tells him he may have failed. “It’s cold now, why should we freeze whilst you stay toasty?”

 

“You’ll be inside,” Siwon states. “Look, the quicker you guys go and price up everything we need, we then can meet and discuss what is better to buy or make.”

 

Kyuhyun bites his tongue, aware of the cameraman currently recording them from the front seat, another behind them in the back.

 

“Come on, I’ll buy you a hot chocolate to escape the cold,” Donghae says as he opens the door.

 

Kyuhyun can feel his face flame with heat as he splutters denials of being a cold arse, and ignores Siwon’s laughter as Kyuhyun slams the car door behind him, the cameraman doing the same.

 

Donghae is already walking ahead, hands deep in his leather jacket pockets, walking with a quiet grace that only models seems to possess.

 

Kyuhyun ignores the way his skin seems to shrink over his bones at meeting the cold, and hurries after him as best as he can without having to run.

 

He will not run on camera. Ever.

 

 

 

 

They’ve only been in the store for five minutes, and Kyuhyun has already lost Donghae.

 

Well, lost in the sense that he can’t actually see him anywhere. The stupid bond buzzing in the back of his head is a constant alert of the male’s presence, so he doesn’t have to worry about being abandoned.

 

Not that he cares if he gets left alone. He knows his way home. He doesn’t _need_ to know where Donghae is.

 

Seeing the cameraman gone now, hiding or doing whatever cameramen do to record a show that is meant to be candid, Kyuhyun allows himself to just relax a little, focusing on the task in hand.

 

The less he has to interact with Donghae with a camera in their faces, the better for his own face.

 

He heads up to the first floor, heading for the houseware stuff, looking over his list yet again of what he needs to find and price up.

 

His list consisted crookery mainly, but it was the style and colour that Kyuhyun knew would be tough to find.

 

Heading for the kitchen side, Kyuhyun gets absorbed into his little search and pricing, carefully looking, taking pictures, and making notes on his phone of items that they could use for the meal of the party.

 

The meal colour scheme was silver and black, a soft gothic aesthetic. The image that Kyuhyun had seen earlier, and which prompted them to come to their overall theme for the party, was of a dining table that was dark and elegant. It only took just a little more imagination to make it more interesting, especially since it was decided that their dining table at the house would be the main stage of the party, the main scene.

 

Murder mystery, or rather, their own take of the game, was their Halloween party theme, with a little bit of elegant darkness to the mix.

 

Horror can be elegant too, after all.

 

It wasn’t decided yet who would be writing the script for the party, and if they should follow the traditional murder mystery rules where you have a fictional person die, or if they should have one of the house members be the victim, just for that extra gore factor.

 

It was all up in the air, but the house was excited, and the sooner the groups all finished their own jobs, the quicker they can make it all come together.

 

“Thought I’d find you here.”

 

Kyuhyun almost drops the wine glass in fright at being suddenly spoken to, having completely missed the buzzing in the back of his head grow just that little bit more annoying.

 

Donghae comes up to his side to look at the range of styles as Kyuhyun carefully puts the wine glass down.

 

“How has your hunting been?” he asks.

 

Kyuhyun wordlessly shows him his list that he’s been marking off. “The only thing I’m struggling with are the centrepieces. Nothing I’ve seen so far is what we have in mind.”

 

Donghae hums, looking over the list. “I think we’re going to have to make it.”

 

“So that’s one down on the list for us to mess up,” Kyuhyun says as Donghae hands over his own list.

 

“All you’ve ticked off is the fake blood,” Kyuhyun accuses, looking at him for the first time since the male arrived at his side.

 

Donghae grins. “Fake blood is cheap. The other stuff we need we can make, since we need it in bulk.”

 

“So what have you been doing all this time then?” Kyuhyun demands, suspicious, and looks down to see the male carrying a bag. “What-”

 

Kyuhyun watches as the male reaches into the bag and pulls out something. “I noticed you were lacking these.”

 

Kyuhyun stares at the blue fluffy gloves, trying so hard to keep his face from betraying _anything_. “You…bought me gloves?”

 

The warmth spreading over his skin is mix of being near to Donghae again and also mortification that the male would do something so mindful when they’re meant to be acting like strangers.

 

“Well, I bought Siwon and Amber some too.”

 

The warmth dims, a shudder of coldness almost making him show it as he takes the gloves the older male is pushing into his hands.

 

“How considerate,” Kyuhyun mutters, trying not to rub the soft material too much.

 

Their group chat notification blares out in the sudden awkward silence, and Kyuhyun is praying that it won’t look so awkward on film.

 

What is he kidding, it’s going to look a thousand times _worse_. 

 

“Well, I _am_ your hyung,” Donghae jokes as they began to head for the escalator, heading back to meet Siwon and Amber now that she’s here.

 

Kyuhyun forces a light laugh out, playing up for the camera, as he looks down at the blue fluffy gloves.

 

Donghae rings Siwon to get them to meet them halfway, and as he does so, Kyuhyun silently slips the gloves into his pocket without putting them on.

 

As Donghae runs ahead to give the other two their own pair of gloves, Kyuhyun follows, his hands deep in his pockets.

 

“How come I got this snot colour?” Siwon demands as Amber teases him with her own red pair.

 

“You’ll never lose them because of their awesome colour,” Donghae replies as he digs for his own pair.

 

“Are you sure about that? I may just ‘accidently’ lose them _because_ of their colour.”

 

Donghae laughs as they begin to head for the underground night market, the plastic bag disappearing into the backpack Siwon had on.

 

“What colour did you get?” Amber asks Kyuhyun as she walks in step with him, ignoring the other two bickering.

 

Kyuhyun pulls out one of the gloves to show her.

 

“Yah, what the hell?!” Siwon suddenly exclaims, surprising both Kyuhyun and Amber.

 

“What?” both ask, stopping as Siwon points at Kyuhyun.

 

“How come he got the same colour as yours?” Siwon accuses Donghae, and Kyuhyun’s eyes drop down to look at the male’s hands.

 

Kyuhyun’s ears turn slightly dim with that stupid buzzing mixing in with his own panicked heartbeat as Donghae shrugs.

 

“These were the only three colours left,” he says easily. “And I like the colour blue more than the other two.”

 

Kyuhyun can faintly hear Amber sniggering about a ‘love line’ and he wants nothing more to remove this moment from time, to never have allowed Donghae to wander off on his own.

 

“What’s the big deal?” Donghae demands, the perfect image of innocence, and Kyuhyun can’t stop staring at those stupid gloves on the older male’s hands. “They’re just gloves, it’s not like I bought them to be like couple gloves.”

 

Surprisingly, _that_ is what snaps Kyuhyun out of his stunned stupor.

 

His pride acts before his sane mind can shut it down.

 

“Who would want to wear couple clothing with you anyway?” Kyuhyun shoots back, ego stinging at the ‘couple glove’ comment.

 

Donghae raises an eyebrow at him as Siwon and Amber quieten.

 

Kyuhyun refuses to say anything, just stares at the older male.

 

“Well, hello, Tension,” he hears Amber fake whisper, and he rolls his eyes at that, shoving her to get them to start walking again.

 

“Can we please hurry up? It’s cold, and Siwon, if you don’t like your snot gloves, then bin them,” Kyuhyun calls as he pushes the laughing female.

 

Siwon splutters denials of hating his gloves, and just like that, they’re moving again.

 

Kyuhyun can’t ignore the persistent stare he can feel on his back all the way, though.

 

When they get into the underground market, Kyuhyun steals Amber in their search to find the best material for their dining table, and also keeping an eye out on anything that they can use to make dramatic, yet elegant, centrepieces out of.

 

“You and Donghae seem to clash,” she says after some time.

 

Kyuhyun’s heart almost dies, but his face remains the perfect image of a poker face.

 

“We don’t know each other enough to clash,” he says, looking over the fabric at the stall they’re at.

 

“You don’t know any of us,” Amber points out. “Didn’t you guys get close during filming?”

 

“No. We didn’t have enough time to chat on set.”

 

“Well, there _is_ something there,” she says as she reaches out for a silver silk type material. “You’re more animated when he’s around.”

 

“I haven’t even been around long enough to be animated near him,” Kyuhyun argues back, touching the material and nodding in agreement too. “You’re seeing something that isn’t there.”

 

“Yet,” Amber sings, gesturing for the owner that they want to purchase it.

 

Kyuhyun rolls his eyes at her, and she merely grins.

 

“Now, who is going to haggle?”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random knowledge behind the writing of this fic, since it grew too much for it to be posted on kyuhae day, Halloween was when I was going to post it. Yeah....it never happened. Which is why the next chapter is so focused on Halloween (even though it has been and gone now, but let's ignore that little fact haha). It was also at Halloween when I deleted the entire fic because, well, you're gonna see _why_ in the next chapter ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

 

 

His manger is pleased when he sees him the next day after his day off, happy that he’s mingling with the cast and not being such a loner.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t have the heart nor energy to tell him that he and Donghae are being shoved together at every possible chance.

 

He’s just glad his schedule is allowing him some much needed breathing space.

 

His phone never shuts up because Siwon or Amber is always chain messaging about the decorations they managed to buy when they went shopping, and now as Halloween is only a few days away, they’re even more excited as they plot who is doing what.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t care what he does, as long as he doesn’t have to be stuck with Donghae doing it.

 

“Try not to destroy anything,” Changmin calls from the front seat of the van later that night as they drop Kyuhyun off at the house.

 

Kyuhyun glares at the male as he eases the door shut, his reflection in the window showing the level of rapid falling patience he has with his best friend who cheekily waves the front of his phone at him, an image of Donghae on it.

 

He slams the door the rest of the way, wishing a certain head was between the door and the jamb.

 

The manager gives him a warning look as he indicts to pull away, and Kyuhyun shrugs his bag up higher as he turns to leave.

 

“Tell Donghae we said hi!” Minho bellows out from the van, and Kyuhyun freezes, one step on the curb as he hears the traitorous sounds of his stupid band members laughing their asses off.

 

Before he can so much as dump his bag on the floor and give chase after the pulling away vehicle to slowly kill his friends, he startles as the gate to the house opens in front of him.

 

Kyuhyun wills down the embarrassment wanting to melt his face off as Amber stands there, amused.

 

“Interesting,” she says as she grins, moving aside as he brushes past her.

 

“Nothing is interesting,” he forces out as calmly as he can, ignoring her trailing after him. “Why are you following me?”

 

“I was going to kill time while we wait for your ass to arrive, but you saved me some exercise,” she says as she climbs the steps to the front door.

 

“Besides,” she says as she reaches the door handle first, her grin turning wider. “I want to be there to see if you follow through with your band’s request.”

 

Before Kyuhyun can so much as answer back, she’s inside, bellowing for Siwon and Donghae to get their asses downstairs in the basement so they can get some work done.

 

Kyuhyun takes a moment to gather himself, to prepare for the evening ahead.

 

Not only does he have to ignore Donghae, but he also has to make sure Amber doesn’t do something to ensure they’re alone with each other so that she can prove a point that needs to be not made.

 

When she bellows for Kyuhyun to get inside, excited and a tad mischievous, Kyuhyun drags his feet inside to face whatever twist fate decides to deliver.

 

“Hurry up and dump your stuff,” she bosses as he comes down the stairs, helping Siwon set up mini stations of craft making.

 

“I am older than you,” he reminds her.

 

“And I’m older than you, so Amber, boss away,” Siwon cheekily cuts in, looking up at him.

 

“Please don’t annoy him, I have to share a room with him,” comes another very annoying voice.

 

Kyuhyun glares at Donghae as the male leaves their shared room. He had been doing so well in ignoring the awareness he had for the male. That is, until he spoke. Now his head is too focused on him.

 

“Share is a word I wouldn’t use,” he says to distract his stupid body’s reaction.

 

“And what word would you use?” Siwon asks before Donghae can.

 

“Sleep? Amber supplies, causing all three of them to freeze in shock at her straightforwardness.

 

She rolls her eyes at their reactions. “Filthy minded. I meant,” she mutters. “Kyuhyun is never here in the day, so the only times they’re in that room together is to sleep.”

 

“I’m leaving before this can get any weirder,” Kyuhyun says, not even daring to look in Donghae’s direction as Siwon begins to laugh.

 

As he dumps his stuff on his bed, once again noticing the mess on Donghae’s, Kyuhyun wills down the niggling itch to tidy their tiny space and march outside.

 

Feeling the gaze of the cameras on him, it strengthens his resolve to act as indifferent as he possibly can.

 

Which is soon tested the second Siwon opens his big mouth.

 

“The first team to finish their roses doesn’t have to do the centrepieces,” male bets, eager as he double checks his own piles of tissue paper. “Me and Amber versus you two. Upstairs versus Basement.”

 

Kyuhyun stares at the male, refusing to sit in the place allocated for him, which is - surprise surprise, next to Donghae.

 

“Why am I being paired up with him?” Both of them demand at the same time, Kyuhyun more whiny than anything, and Donghae more amused.

 

“Think of it as a bonding task,” Amber answers, smug.

 

 _That is one thing we don’t need_ , Kyuhyun thinks to himself viciously, legs unwillingly sitting his ass down on the floor.

 

“Haha,” Donghae drawls, catching her pun with a roll of his eyes. “I swear, I do one music video with an idol and it haunts me.”

 

Kyuhyun slowly turns his face to the male. “Care to repeat that?”

 

Donghae doesn’t even look at him as he gets his layers of paper ready. “Idol, band, whatever. You both do the same thing.”

 

“Didn’t we have this argument the first night we all met?” Kyuhyun says, snatching his own pile to him. “I don’t dance.”

 

“Oh, and here I thought the flopping you do around on stage is part of some rocker choreography you were given.”

 

Kyuhyun hears the tiny itty bitty sound of paper ripping and doesn’t have to look down to see it’s his own.

 

“I do not ‘flop’ around on stage,” he hisses.

 

Donghae looks over at him, amused. “Right. Whatever you say.”

 

“Okay, maybe we should change teams?” He hears Siwon whisper, slightly concerned, but Amber shushes him.

 

“At least I actually know _how_ to move,” Kyuhyun snipes, and feels satisfied at finally getting a reaction from the male as he tenses. “All you know how to do is walk from A to B, and maybe pull some constipated face in between.”

 

Donghae slowly raises his head, his eyes showing something other than amusement. “Do you really want to get onto the subject of pulling faces? Because at least I’m trained to pull certain faces, the faces you pull on music shows and music videos is something that needs to be trained _out_ of you.”

 

He vaguely hears Amber whisper, ‘this is better than any romance drama currently showing on TV.”

 

“Well, you’re clearly not as trained as you think you are because you would know that it is an art to feel emotion on your face, and not fake it like you models do.”

 

You can hear a pin drop in the silence that follows Kyuhyun’s words, both of them glaring at each other, their hands fisting their poor tissue paper.

 

“Okay, guys, you both are skilled in two _very_ ,” Siwon stresses this word pointedly, his tone a tad high with barely concealed panic, “different areas. You both are good, so let’s drop this petty argument, huh?”

 

Kyuhyun smirks at that. “Argument?” he repeats, his and Donghae’s gaze not breaking for even a second. “I thought this was a ‘bonding task’?”

 

Donghae’s grin is slow, and he’s the one to break eye contact to meet the stunned forms of Siwon and Amber. “What? Did you think we were being serious?”

 

Kyuhyun starts folding and shaping his tissue paper. “You may want to take back your ‘good’ comment, Siwon.”

 

Donghae laughs at that, doing the same with his own paper.

 

As Kyuhyun carefully finishes his rose and puts it aside, he slyly looks up to see Siwon looking confused and Amber grinning to herself as she starts her own roses.

 

He hears Siwon murmur to himself about being ‘too believable’, and glances to see Donghae putting his own rose next to Kyuhyun’s.

 

The thrumming of the bond at the back of his head remains calm, just how it had done throughout their entire exchange.

 

Though, the second he accidently catches Donghae watching him as he studies the rose he had put down, the bond hitches a little with that annoying buzzing, before calming the second both of them look swiftly away.

 

Kyuhyun files away this newly developed reaction for later study. Right now, he is determined to be as far away from making the key focus for their dinner party as he could be.

 

And if that means he subtly tweaks Donghae’s roses as they go, just to be doubly sure that they will win at the end of it, then so be it.

 

 

 

 

Sometime during the night, Kyuhyun is woken to the soft tugging of his duvet.

 

Groaning, he turns over to stop the tugging and his body practically shudders at the warmth of energy flooding through him as Donghae’s hand grasps his.

 

Kyuhyun sighs, and without saying a word, rolls over, tugging gently as he does so, to make room for the older male.

 

It’s not often that it’s Donghae seeking Kyuhyun out for Soul Energy, it’s usually Kyuhyun needing the male first.

 

Making sure there is a clear gap between their bodies, to not encourage the bond to grow more, he hears Donghae settle, his grip on Kyuhyun’s hand slack, but still tight enough so that it won’t break during sleep.

 

Kyuhyun thinks back to their evening, their spontaneous argument that would have normally riled up Kyuhyun to the point of anger if it was with another person, but the fact that it was with Donghae, and the male was giving it back just as much as he gave it, it didn’t seem like an argument at all.

 

Banter. It was banter, with tension, Kyuhyun realises a second later.

 

The look he had seen in Donghae’s eyes hadn’t been anger nor amusement. It was something he hadn’t seen yet in the male’s gaze, and while it had only lasted a split second, it had been there.

 

Amber was right, there was clearly tension between him and Donghae, tonight proved it that they had a natural tension that they can play off as their own form of friendly banter.

 

However, tonight would be the last time any tension will be displayed like that. The cameras got what they wanted, something to work with, to show that both him and Donghae are fine as roommates. It will allow them some respite, at least for a while, which was why Kyuhyun chose to escalate the ‘argument’.

 

Kyuhyun can feel the bond pulse with energy, a spread of continuous warmth spreading through him, rejuvenating him, as he listens to Donghae breathe in his sleep.

 

Tonight had been the first time the bond had reacted in such a calm way when interacting with Donghae, when any other time it just insistently buzzes when the male is near. It was as if it could read they were both calm and merely acting angry.

 

Kyuhyun stiffens at the thought, his heart lurching.

 

If that was the case, then it might explain why afterwards, when they both met each other’s unexpected gaze, the bond reacted to their surprise.

 

 _Oh fuck_ , Kyuhyun thinks to himself, stomach plummeting, and he hears Donghae make a soft sound as he shifts in his sleep before settling.

 

The bond had grown.

 

_The bond was growing._

 

Kyuhyun squirmed to put more space between them both, his back pressed up the wall as he tries to keep calm.

 

It had to be from that night where Kyuhyun had accidently fell asleep on the male on the bedroom floor. That has been the only time they’ve had more physical contact.

 

If just a brief rest against each other was enough to encourage the bond to relay small readings of emotions, then Kyuhyun does not want to know what else will happen if anything like a hug was to happen.

 

They both wanted a platonic bond. No feelings, no emotional bond tying them to each other, they just wanted to live as normally as they could get.

 

That’s all they wanted. Why was it so hard to just have it?

 

When sleep finally does claim him, his dreams are plagued with images of Donghae and a feeling of security.

 

Needless to say, he doesn’t sleep as much as he wants to.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's short, it needed to be! Also, the next chapter will be the last time Halloween is mentioned (yay, thank god) and then the fic actually gets some much needed spark.


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun learns two things during the Halloween party.

 

One, never to trust idols. They are masters of lying.

 

Two, there is a reason why Donghae is a highly sought after model.

 

 

 

 

 

Since the overall theme of the party was revolving around a ‘dinner’, it had been decided by the group in charge of costumes for them all to dress as fancy as they could possibly be, with a gore twist.

 

Your general clothing appearance can be as fancy as you desire, but your face is a painted mask.

 

The roles for the murder mystery had already been given, no one was allowed to disclose any hints or information concerning their character’s role, because the whole point of the costume is that the painted mask can either be an illusion or a reality concerning your character’s true personality and motive.

 

It was a concept that took a little explaining when it was first pitched, but tonight, it all came together perfectly.

 

Kyuhyun studies the painted mask sitting opposite him across the dining table he and his group had dressed up a few hours ago, their starter done.

 

Amber smiles at him, the mask she was wearing was in the form of smudged makeup, her lipstick smudged as if she had wiped it with the back of her hand, and the lines of dried mascara on her cheeks painted her character as vulnerable, emotional.

 

Kyuhyun wasn’t believing it. The way she sat betrayed any trace of vulnerability, her posture was too relaxed, too open.

 

Looking to the person next to her as he takes a sip of his wine, one of the idols, Taemin, is sporting a mask a lot louder than Amber’s. His mask is half painted, one side of his face resembling a Joker smile high up to his cheek, and the other side is Taemin’s normal face but with his eyes shadowed and lined more heavily with a slight grey contour carving his slim face more harshly, making him look more harsh and cold. As the younger male laughs, others joining in, Kyuhyun wonders how the younger male will play. Is he just a joker, or are his jokes hiding a sinister side to him?

 

Kyuhyun subtly glances around the rest of the housemates, taking in their masks and behaviour once again.

 

He isn’t sure who the main character is yet, no one has died.

 

He pauses as he puts his wine glass down, noting two absent spaces at the table.

 

Siwon and Donghae are missing.

 

Kyuhyun knows this is cheating.

 

He does it anyway.

 

He blocks out the conversation going around him as he chews on a breadstick, making sure he’s keeping busy, as he tentatively focuses on the bond.

 

He can sense the male is close, he isn’t outside, he’s got to be somewhere within the centre of the house.

 

Kyuhyun decides to test out his new theory of the bond growing, to see if he can pick up any emotion from Donghae’s end.

 

He quickly realises he hasn’t got a clue how to do that, and as he bites off more bread, he dumbly thinks up stupid questions such as, ‘is he okay?’, ‘bond, is he okay?”

 

He doesn’t think up a third question, he feels too ridiculous.

 

As one of the comedians next to him drags him into a conversation, Kyuhyun remembers his own character and responds carefully, leaning close as comfortably he can tolerate as they gossip about how the first episode was received by the public.

 

“I knew they would make it cringe worthy, but wow, I wasn’t expecting the editing to be like this,” she whispers, only so the mics can’t pick it up properly with all of the background noise on.

 

“I hardly appeared,” Kyuhyun grins, pleased.

 

“Give it time,” she warns, her neighbour agreeing.

 

Before Kyuhyun can answer back, he feels a swift wave of anxiety suddenly flooding through him.

 

“You okay?” the female asks him, catching his sudden pause.

 

The bond thrums with the lingering wave of anxiety, and Kyuhyun can’t help the reaction of looking out behind them, into the living space, searching.

 

“Have you seen Siwon?” he asks curiously.

 

“Yeah, he’s over there-oh.”

 

Kyuhyun is about to stand up, wondering if the wave of anxiety he had felt has anything to do with one of them being the victim, but then the booming laugh of Siwon stops him, and the bond buzzes as Donghae gets closer.

 

He watches as they come from the basement, both laughing as they come back to the table.

 

“Where did you two go?” The comedian asks, their laughter drawing her attention as they sit down, just as the bell rings for the next course, which was rung by the oldest housemate since they were the only one that demanded to be in charge of cooking, the rest of the food group being the casual servers for the evening.

 

Siwon grins as he takes a seat down the end of the table, Donghae next to him. “The little boys’ room.”

 

Kyuhyun can’t quite see Donghae due to them sitting on the same side, and he isn’t about to be obvious about it, so as the three housemates start putting down food in front of everyone, Kyuhyun focuses on the bond.

 

It’s calm, still again.

 

Kyuhyun surprisingly doesn’t trust it, and as the meal passes with no obvious death (hey, he wouldn’t be surprised if the death was wrote as via poisoned kimchi), the whole group have slacked on their roles, their own personalities blending into the character role since nothing has happened.

 

But that changes when, as the dessert is being served and they’re all heading back to their seats from the living room, there is a piercing scream from one of the idols from the basement.

 

Kyuhyun is part impressed by the fake vomit covering Siwon’s chest and neck, part grossed out as the male lies on the floor, just outside the bathroom he and Donghae share.

 

Kyuhyun didn’t really understand Siwon’s mask when he had first seen it, since the main focus was the male’s black contacts that covered his entire eyes. He had assumed his character was sinister, maybe cruel due to the unnatural paleness to the male’s normally glowing skin.

 

But now he gets it.

 

The male’s black eyes weren’t sinister, but covering his vision, making him blind to which housemate would be his ‘killer’.

 

The game has started as Siwon’s death snaps them all back into character.

 

Kyuhyun glances over at Donghae, and studies his mask.

 

His mask was only one of the most disturbing out of them all. One of the actors is the winner for the creepiest looking mask that may not get a lot of screen time, due to how disturbing it was.

 

Donghae’s skin was white, not pale like some of them, but white. The only colour to his mask was along the edges of his hairline and around the edges of his face where the white had been carefully blended to look like it wasn’t his mask’s true colour.

 

Even though white washes out any natural definition of your face, Donghae’s handsome genes apparently didn’t apply. The subtle contour the male was wearing strangely sat well with the male’s cheekbones, just making them that little more distinctive so that it wasn’t lost to the boldness of the male’s heavily lined and smoked black eyes.

 

Kyuhyun studies the male’s eyes now, the contacts that are hiding his usually soft and expressional eyes, watches how the black coloured contacts, that only covered his pupils and not his entire eye, remain fixed on Siwon as the others all talk, investigating what happened.

 

Then his eyes travel to the main feature of the male’s mask, the key point to whether it’s an illusion to his character or a reality.

 

It’s similar to Kyuhyun’s own, in a way. The elongated and carefully smudged smile that looks demonic brings a harshness to the male’s mask, but if you look past the scare factor, you could read it in another way. You could read the male’s mask in a completely different way, the almost sultry eye makeup that you would often see on runways (just without the unnatural white foundation), can display confidence, a sharp gaze due to how sharp the eyeliner is, and the mouth itself can be read in a way that maybe he isn’t so confident in his words, that while he appears confident, he’s not.

 

He’s vulnerable to words.

 

“You’ve been with him all night,” one of the housemates accuses Donghae, drawing his and Kyuhyun’s attention. “You’re the main suspect.”

 

Donghae’s eyebrows raise. “I was only with him the once, and that was way at the start of the meal.”

 

“You were sat next to him,” another points out. “Funny how we’ve just ate and he’s now dead, choked on his own vomit.”

 

“So shouldn’t hyung be the suspect then?” Donghae counters easily, nodding at their cook for the evening. “Or even those three, the one who have _handled_ the food?”

 

“I was talking to him throughout the meal,” another pipes up in Donghae’s defence. “He was nowhere near Siwon’s food, or even talking to him.”

 

“When did you say you went with him?” Amber asks, curious.

 

Kyuhyun swallows as he feels that tickle of anxiety again.

 

“Why does that matter?” Kyuhyun’s hears himself ask, and feels the weight of everyone’s attention on him.

 

“Because he admitted to being alone with him,” Amber points out.

 

“Yeah, at the very end of the starter,” Kyuhyun slowly says, dragging it out for them to see sense. “It’s been a good ten minutes since we had dinner, if Donghae had done something to him, Siwon would’ve vomited all over dinner, not after it.”

 

Kyuhyun turns, finding his target. “What were _you_ doing down here?” he interrogates the idol that had alerted them all to the game starting.

 

The female turns flustered. “I was going to use the toilet.”

 

“In a bathroom that you don’t regularly use, which is also used by solely men and is full of their stuff, and is essentially their space,” Kyuhyun lists. “Wouldn’t that be just a little uncomfortable, because I certainly would feel it if I went into one of the bathrooms you girls use, when you could go to the one you normally use?”

 

“I was desperate,” she defends, stance shifting.

 

“And yet you’re still standing here,” Kyuhyun grins, and he knows how disturbing he potentially looks due to his own mask as he grins. The black lines drawn vertically above and on his lips to represent stitches with the slight inside coloured in with a very stubborn layered lip tint that was then coloured with a waterproof eyeliner to prevent it from smearing when he eats, is a tamer version of Donghae’s demonic smile.

 

Kyuhyun’s character was supposed to be invisible, which is why he hardly interacted all night with the others.

 

He studied, listened, and observed. Now it was time for him to play his role of finding the truth.

 

Or to hide it.

 

As the others take over the interrogation, he blends in to the back, ignoring Siwon’s playful wink before his ‘dead’ eyes go still again, staring up at the ceiling.

 

He glances over at Donghae, who is watching the others act and play.

 

Either he feels Kyuhyun’s gaze, or the bond gives something away, because the male’s attention fixes on him instantly.

 

They watch each other, sussing each other’s roles out.

 

The bond at the back of his mind contently vibrates, even long after they break gazes and join in with the game.

 

Kyuhyun has nothing to hide, and Donghae knows it.

 

But Donghae on the other hand…

 

Now that, is the game Kyuhyun is more interested in playing.

 

 

 

 

It’s been an hour. The dinner has ended, but the game hasn’t.

 

As they all stand in the living area, lines divided with who they believe is the ‘murderer’, Kyuhyun is alone with Amber, the last two to decide on which side to side with.

 

“He is clearly the one who plotted it!” Taemin argues to Amber, both of them have been at it for the last minute or so.

 

“He has no motive to kill him!” Amber snaps. “Those three, however, have the motive to kill him due to envy, and helped each other to do it.”

 

That causes another round of denials, and Kyuhyun glances between the two suspects.

 

Donghae wasn’t able to escape the suspicion. His moment alone with Siwon too much to ignore. But none of them could settle on a motive for the male wanting to kill Siwon. Their characters were in completely areas of work, had only ‘met’ tonight at the meal through their mutual friend, Amber. There was no motive at all for Donghae to murder a stranger.

 

However, during the course of what was left of the dinner, all the juicy tales was unleashed during confrontations that Siwon’s popular face was enough to cause envy and hatred amongst a few of the housemates.

 

Namely, the ‘servants’ as they were now dubbed.

 

They had the motive, to ruin his career by ending his life so that they can get a taste of the opportunities he had access to, they had the help because of the access to the cook and the food preparation and serving, but they had confided in Taemin, a friend, who then betrayed them because of an accidental joke he had made in passing during the starter, and one of the comedians had overheard and remembered it.

 

Taemin’s mask had been true, he was a joker that would tell a joke too close to truth, and he would be left trying to shield himself.

 

Amber playfully fights with Taemin as the idol tries to drag her to the side that thinks Donghae is the murder, but she wins and marches over to the side that has the most housemates.

 

It’s Kyuhyun’s turn.

 

“Who do you think did it?” Amber asks. “Donghae? Or those three?”

 

Kyuhyun goes over what he knows, what they’ve all been debating over the entire party.

 

And then he goes over what only _he_ knows.

 

Kyuhyun had been careful when he had questioned Donghae on what they talked about when he was alone with Siwon, trying to find a connection to the anxiety he had felt at the very beginning.

 

 

_“He asked me if I had seen anyone of interest yet.” Donghae answers, confused. “You know, the usual small talk you can make as you wait to take your turn to use the bathroom.”_

_“And did you answer?” Kyuhyun asks, not believing him._

_“I…yes.”_

_Kyuhyun swallows. “Do I have to force it out of you?”_

_“It doesn’t really matter now, does it? Nothing attractive about a suspected murderer.”_

                                                        

 

Kyuhyun knows first-hand how brutal Siwon can be when he corners you and tries to fish personal information out of you, and considering how close those two have become during the completion of their group task, Kyuhyun wouldn’t put it past Siwon to say something along such lines.

 

And what a better way to ask than under the guise of playing another ‘character’.

 

Kyuhyun glances over at Donghae, mainly to see if it will gain a reaction from the older male.

 

Donghae just watches him, waiting too. He doesn’t look nervous, he looks collected despite the fact he’s very close to being the loser of the game if Kyuhyun decides to choose him and he’s right.

 

But, is Kyuhyun right?

 

The other three have a clear motive, and all three nearly broke during the confrontations, becoming flustered and making their story a mess as they tried to defend each other.

 

Kyuhyun’s gaze lingers over the mask that is painted on Donghae’s face, the sharp eye makeup, the smudged painted smile; the two contradictions.

 

He takes a step, making his decision.

 

Taemin lets out a loud groan as Kyuhyun breaks eye contact with Donghae, and makes his way to where the rest of the housemates are standing.

 

“You all are blind,” Taemin huffs, sitting down on one of the sofas as Siwon comes from out of the kitchen where he had been sitting during the debating.

 

“They are indeed,” Donghae agrees, and everyone turns silent at that, refocusing on Donghae again instead of each other.

 

Kyuhyun, who hadn’t really taken his full attention off the male, watches as he smiles, his real smile making the painted one look eerie.

 

“You mean-” someone begins, stunned as they watch Siwon high five Donghae.

 

“You all are the losers!” Siwon cheers, swinging an arm around the male. “You guessed wrong. Donghae is my murderer.”

 

As a bunch of them scream in a mix of disbelief and regret, Kyuhyun meets Donghae’s gaze as he fights off the sudden horde of housemates.

 

Donghae’s mask was good, it almost threw Kyuhyun off his trail. Almost. Kyuhyun’s previous assumption had been that the male had been wary of words, lacking in confidence to use them due to the way the smile was shaped and painted, giving you a sense of vulnerability.

 

It was false.

 

Kyuhyun was a good listener - it was in his character’s nature to be, and Donghae _did_ trip on his words a few times during the confrontations, however, they were carefully chosen words. Donghae knew what to say, how to say it. The other three didn’t have a clue how to deal with the confrontations that Donghae subtly led towards them.

 

That’s when Kyuhyun knew the truth. Donghae’s mask wasn’t a mask, it was his character’s face.

 

Amber starts high fiving Donghae too, her role as his accomplice revealed, causing further disbelief at having been completely misled by her.

 

“What was the motive?” One of the idols asks, curious.

 

“He was annoying,” Amber laughs, and Siwon shoves her for it.

 

One of the PD’s, who had been hiding behind the scenes, purely to make sure the game actually worked, signals that they’re free to do what they please now that they’ve got the main bulk for the show, and as the PD is walked out by the eldest housemate, the others are still buzzing about the game and how they were all blindsided by Amber and Donghae.

 

“Your character should’ve known,” Taemin sulks when Kyuhyun drops down to sit next to him.

 

Kyuhyun pats the younger male’s knee. “You tried.”

 

“Yeah, and look where it got us. I don’t even want to know what the punishment will be, especially with those three planning it,” the boy moans.

 

Kyuhyun feels the bond buzz a little louder as Donghae walks past him, his eyes trailing after the male of their own accord.

 

“Yeah, me neither.”

 

 

 

 

During the late hours of that night, when the house has finally settled to sleep, Kyuhyun tracks the sound of Donghae coming into the bedroom having gone to the bathroom.

 

His back is to the male, facing the wall, but he’s aware – just like always – of the male.

 

So when the male lightly tugs the duvet up higher to cover Kyuhyun’s body, his fingertips briefly brushing his shoulder, causing a tease of warmth through Kyuhyun’s body and causing his heart to beat a mile per second, Kyuhyun doesn’t dare breathe.

 

“You knew I was lying,” he hears Donghae murmur gently to himself, still close. “You lost on purpose.”

 

Kyuhyun wants to turn around and put the male in his place because _why_ would Kyuhyun do such a thing?

 

But he doesn’t.

 

He feels the lightest touch to his shoulder again as the older male sighs heavily.

 

And then he’s gone, the sound of his bed allowing Kyuhyun to dare breathe again.

 

Kyuhyun’s heart is still beating like it’s trying to escape, the extra Soul Energy given to him making the slight tiredness he had been fighting all day to dim.

 

He slowly turns so he can look over his shoulder at the profile of Donghae’s sleeping body.

 

Why did he lose on purpose?

 

He knew the truth, but he chose to make himself the loser so that Donghae could win.

 

Kyuhyun really wants to blame this on their stupid predicament, but deep down, he knows the bond had nothing to do with his choice.

 

Maybe he was curious? Curious of what, Kyuhyun isn’t sure.

 

Maybe he wanted to test and judge just how well Donghae was capable of lying and acting to hide something, to see if Kyuhyun could start to trust him to keep their secret safe instead of panicking all the time that the older male would slip up.

 

Well, he’s got his answer. He managed to fool almost all of the housemates, have them wrapped around his finger to believe what he wanted them to believe.

 

Donghae may just be a model, but he is proving more to be than just a handsome face.

 

He’s adaptable, can handle himself under stress, but above all, he’s trustable, and that is something Kyuhyun needs.

 

Now, it’s Kyuhyun’s turn. He needs to stop thinking he’s carrying this burden alone, and actually trust in Donghae to help share the burden.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the visual readers: [Donghae's mask](http://i364.photobucket.com/albums/oo86/BreakingVines/Livejournal/haes%20mask_zps1qkwg1w2.jpg), [Kyuhyun's mask](http://i364.photobucket.com/albums/oo86/BreakingVines/Livejournal/nrm1414063678-halloweenl1-0051-jpg_zps28qbcpbh.jpg), and the [dinner layout](http://i364.photobucket.com/albums/oo86/BreakingVines/Livejournal/soft_gothic_101_zpsdaqj4qah.jpg).


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting early again since I will be busy tomorrow to do so! Enjoy~

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the second episode airs, Kyuhyun wasn’t prepared _at all_ for the contents of it.

 

He knew they would use the bickering between himself and Donghae when they went shopping, but he certainly wasn’t prepared for _how_ they edited it.

 

The others are silent as the next show starts.

 

“They…” Kyuhyun starts, stunned.

 

“Maybe it’s a plot ploy?” someone suggests, though they themselves sound just as stunned.

 

“A plot to destroy me?” Kyuhyun weakly asks, already imaging the hate coming his way.

 

The editing…they had made it come across that Kyuhyun _hated_ Donghae.

 

“They shouldn’t have used those clips,” Amber seethes. “It’s common knowledge you’re not going to be around often compared to Donghae. They didn’t have to edit it in a way that it was purposeful avoidance.”

 

“They going for the ‘awkward roommates that clash’ trope,” the eldest sighs, rubbing Kyuhyun’s shoulder. “Hopefully during your group task they won’t have any other clips to twist.”

 

Kyuhyun feels himself turn into a block of ice as he remembers the ‘argument’, and can only imagine how it looked on film, how his face looked and Donghae’s, and sees Amber look just as stricken too.

 

“Yeah,” he hears himself say quietly, weak. “Hopefully.”

 

 

 

 

 

He avoids looking at the online searches, avoids seeing what his own fans are saying about the episode. He avoids every form of social media in order to save himself from any poison caused by the malicious editing.

 

Kyuhyun has a shit load of performances and fanmeets to deal with up and down the country for the entire week, so by the time he’s actually able to be in the house, he’s needing Donghae more than he’s ever needed him.

 

And the male is nowhere to be seen.

 

“You don’t look so hot,” Amber comments, spying him slumped on the kitchen table before going upstairs to join the others for this week’s episode.

 

Kyuhyun grunts, his body feeling like stone, as he tries to will away the thumping headache and nausea.

 

“I was going to offer you a space on the bean bag sofa, but maybe bed sounds more appealing,” she says as she tentatively touches him. “Yeah, you’re hot. I think we’ve got some fever tablets around here.”

 

“Don’t need them,” Kyuhyun manages to force out as Amber searches in one of the kitchen cupboards.

 

“You’re not the first and won’t be the last to overexert himself,” Amber calls as she grabs him a glass of water too. “You live in a house filled with overworked entertainers.”

 

Kyuhyun forces his eyes open as the glass his placed beside his head, the box of tablets following it.

 

“Take them and get some rest,” she instructs, hand rubbing his back as she leaves.

 

Kyuhyun has no intention of taking them, but when Amber backtracks her steps, he’s met with a determined expression.

 

“You seem the type to avoid medication,” she says as she begins to pop two pills out. “I’m not going anywhere until you take them.”

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t even know if he’s got the strength to lift his head, never mind swallow something.

 

But the longer this drags on, the more odd it will get.

 

So, he grits his teeth and slowly sits up, trying to ignore how the world starts to spin, causing his stomach to roll further.

 

As he takes the tablets that won’t work, he gulps down the rest of the water, needing something to perk him up enough so he can manage the stairs to his room.

 

Satisfied, Amber takes the glass from him to place in the sink, before rubbing his shoulder again as his sits there, sluggish, and heads for upstairs as the opening credits for the show starts.

                                                         

It takes another good minute or two for Kyuhyun to convince his body to stand up.

 

It takes even longer for him to make it safely down the stairs and into the bedroom.

 

As he shuts out the house and traps himself into his little bubble, Kyuhyun can feel himself beginning to sweat as his body switches between hot and cold, and he yanks his sweater off him, leaving him in the thin top he had on underneath.

 

The smell of Donghae’s cologne seems to both help and make it harder for Kyuhyun to remain standing. It’s like having relief within your grasp, but really, it isn’t.

 

He staggers towards his bed, then decides at the last second to lie on Donghae’s, hoping maybe the male’s familiar scent could do _something_ to help him from feeling so wrecked.

 

Turning his head to the side so he can breathe, Kyuhyun clutches the pillow tightly, trying to swallow the feeling of his throat tightening with warning of the nausea getting more threatening.

 

He doesn’t know how long he lies there, eyes tightly shut, breathing in and out deeply, trying hard to fight back against the Energy Starvation.

 

Kyuhyun is so focused on not puking on Donghae’s bed that when he feels the bond at the back of his head buzz, he thinks he’s now delirious.

 

However, he’s thankfully proved wrong when the bedroom door is shoved open and closed, and Donghae’s familiar presence overwhelms Kyuhyun, who whimpers in nothing short of relief.

 

He feels a hand pressed to his head, hears the male cuss.

 

Kyuhyun grabs for the hand, and the surge of Energy that floods him almost hurts before the warmth begins to travel through his body.

 

“Shit, hang on,” he hears Donghae whisper, panicked, as the older male clutches his hand tightly. “Just hang on.”

 

Even though he’s getting Energy, it’s slow, and the nausea that he had been fighting chooses now to act.

 

Kyuhyun jerks over the edge of the bed as he retches, the water he had drunk earlier coming back up, and the sound of sick hitting the floor with the contents of his stomach has him cringing before the smell of it can.

 

Donghae makes soft soothing sounds as he rubs his back. “It’s okay, just let it all out.”

 

Kyuhyun retches again, and the barely dissolved tablets find their new home on the floor.

 

Kyuhyun makes a weak feeble sound as his head hangs limply over the edge of it.

 

Donghae lets go off his hand, and the loss of Energy brings a sharp coldness over his skin and into his bones that he starts to shake.

 

“D-Donghae,” he stutters out, grasping for any part of the male as he’s moved into a better position without the threat of choking himself if he vomits again.

 

Kyuhyun moans as the bedroom light hurts his eyes, dipping his head down as he’s sat up.

 

“Shhh, I got you.”

 

As the Energy returns, Kyuhyun gasps as it comes back stronger than it has ever been.

 

It takes him a full minute to understand why.

 

Donghae’s arms around him keep him steady, his hands running up and down Kyuhyun’s arms to help with the extra flow of Soul Energy as he cradles Kyuhyun to him from behind.

 

“I’ll just hold you like this until you’re less starved,” Donghae promises, his voice soft against his ear.

 

Kyuhyun’s head limply turns to the side, trying to block out the light he can still see from beneath his closed lids.

 

Donghae must’ve noticed, because he shifts slightly, curving Kyuhyun more into him so that he can shield his eyes by using Donghae’s arm and chest as a barrier.

 

Kyuhyun can’t really think coherently, not with so much Soul Energy coursing through him, fighting back the Energy Starvation, that he just weakly holds onto Donghae’s hand, and allows his body to heal.

 

As he fades in and out of consciousness, he’s aware of Donghae either humming or talking to Kyuhyun in soft whispers while his other hand runs through Kyuhyun’s slightly damp hair due to the hot and cold sweats he had.

 

Kyuhyun will worry about the consequences about the bond growing later. He’ll worry about the stupid show’s editing of his and Donghae’s relationship later as well.

 

Right now, this is the safest he’s ever felt, ever.

 

“Sleep, Hyun. I’ve got you,” he hears Donghae soothe.

 

So he does.

 

 

 

 

When Kyuhyun wakes up, his body feels alive with energy, all warm and tingling with it.

 

When the flash comes again, the reason why he had woke up, Kyuhyun realises he’s lying down now, facing his bed.

 

Kyuhyun groans slightly with the effort of moving from his comfortable position as he reaches for the phone half tucked under Donghae’s pillow.

 

Seeing the notifications from the missed calls, causing the phone to silently alert it, Kyuhyun blinks as he checks the time.

 

He frowns when he realises he’s holding Donghae’s phone, his own probably still tucked in his pocket.

 

Kyuhyun wonders if he should wake the male up that is currently sleeping behind him, an arm tucked securely over Kyuhyun’s waist to ensure he’s still receiving Soul Energy.

 

Kyuhyun places the phone screen down, stopping the bright flashing from disturbing the darkness of the early hours of the morning, and just breathes.

 

This is the most comfortable he ever recalls feeling, both within his skin and also mentally. He’s not one for skinship, he’s a little awkward in that department, so for him to feel so relaxed and comforted by having Donghae holding him as they slept, is pretty unusual.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t want to think about if tonight’s Energy Breakdown had either completed the bond so they’re now emotionally tied, or if it had just nudged the growth further along.

 

He groans when he remembers the mic and camera in this room.

 

The light had been on the entire time, well, the time that Kyuhyun was conscious for.

 

His gut begins to churn, the warmth he had been enjoying now being pushed aside by fear and anxiety that strangers will be seeing such a vulnerable and intimate moment of Kyuhyun’s and Donghae’s relationship.

 

“You ‘kay?” Donghae’s sudden drowsy voice causes him to startle, not expecting the male to speak.

 

Kyuhyun wishes he kept that groan of frustration to himself, now he has to face the reality of what had happened a lot quicker than he had been hoping for.

 

“Camera,” Kyuhyun mumbles, hoping the male can hear him because he isn’t going to risk speaking louder for the mic to pick it up.

 

He feels Donghae breathe in deeply, feels him shift behind him, arm briefly tightening over Kyuhyun, before relaxing again as he settles more comfortably.

 

“It’ll be fine,” Donghae says, voice thick with sleep still.

 

Kyuhyun lets out a quiet humourless laugh at that. “Can’t wait for that episode to air. ‘They don’t hate each other as it turns out, they’re just Soul Partners!’”

 

“We still have rights,” Donghae counters, a little more awake.

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. “In this industry, rights don’t exist. Rights don’t bring in ratings or interest, image does.”

 

“Didn’t have you down as a quitter.”

 

“Ever since this ‘thing’ happened, it just felt like I was on borrowed time anyway,” Kyuhyun confides, voice hushed.

 

“Only if you allow it to be,” Donghae argues softly. “You’ve done nothing but be on the defensive since you entered the house. Sometimes, the more you try to hide and deny something, the slacker you become in covering it.”

 

“Are you saying this is my fault?” Kyuhyun argues back, head lifted so he direct it as best as he can over his shoulder.

 

“In a way, yes,” Donghae bluntly tells him, and he stops Kyuhyun from moving by tightening his arm over him. “Let me explain before you overreact.”

 

Kyuhyun bites his tongue and remains silent.

 

“I can feel you seething,” Donghae prods his hip bone pointedly, and Kyuhyun grimaces at confirmation the bond _has_ grown. “Maybe you need to stop being like a hedgehog with its prickles raised in defence. Lower you guard, enjoy and learn about the others in here. You’re not as approachable as you think you are, Kyuhyun, and the whole point of this show is to show people connecting with each other.”

 

“I-”

 

“You also need to trust me more,” Donghae cuts in gently. “You need to learn about me more, and also to allow us to interact a lot more openly. The more we build a friendship, the lesser we’ll need to deal with moments like tonight.”

 

“Prevention is key,” Kyuhyun summarises. “Not avoidance.”

 

“For the long term, yeah,” Donghae agrees. “This show is only short term. _We_ have to deal with this for the rest of our lives. We need to build a foundation of trust so that we can actually live our lives without having to be on the defence all the time.”

 

“I did say you could be my model friend,” Kyuhyun jokes after a minute of thoughtful silence, and he feels Donghae’s snort at the back of his neck.

 

“Like you said at the hospital, this bond can remain platonic. A friendship, rather than a business transaction, won’t harm a platonic bond. It’ll make it easier if anything, since we’ll be familiar with each other.”

 

Kyuhyun cringes at the male’s description of how their relationship had been up until now, but the male was right, it was like a business transaction.

 

“You do realise the bond has changed since the hospital, right?” Kyuhyun addresses carefully. “I can feel some of your emotions.”

 

“Likewise,” Donghae answers back, just as careful. “Hopefully, it’ll remain to just odd emotions seeping through. We just need to work on natural skinship and we’ll be fine.”

 

“I can’t do skinship,” Kyuhyun whines petulantly.

 

“You’re doing alright now,” Donghae teases, and then causes Kyuhyun to choke as he briefly pulls Kyuhyun back into a hug.

 

It only lasts a second before the male releases him altogether, chuckling to himself at the way Kyuhyun had reacted, but it was a second that felt like a minute for Kyuhyun.

 

“You should be feeling okay,” Donghae says as he sits up, but he waits for Kyuhyun to deny or confirm.

 

Kyuhyun nods, then feels stupid for doing so because it’s dark. “Yeah, I feel more than okay. This is probably the healthiest I’ve ever felt.”

 

Donghae claps a hand on his hipbone and Kyuhyun jolts in shock at the playful slap.

 

“I’m gonna get something to eat,” the older male says as he climbs over Kyuhyun’s limbs. “You coming?”

 

Kyuhyun almost responds in his default way, then remembers their conversation.

 

As he sits up, he brings Donghae’s phone with him. “Are you gonna cook? It’s like 4am.”

 

The notification flashes light up Donghae’s face enough for Kyuhyun to see he’s wearing a happy smile.

 

“4am is the perfect hour for some cheeky triangle kimbap,” Donghae says as he heads for the door. “You up for an early morning trek?”

 

Kyuhyun says that he is, but he needs to find something warm to put back on and that he’ll meet the male in a minute.

 

As Donghae leaves to quickly use the bathroom while Kyuhyun gets ready, Kyuhyun turns the light on to find the sweater he had taken off hours ago.

 

He pauses as he bends to pick it up, he sees that the sick had been cleaned up, and a glass of now stale water was sitting in the place it had been in.

 

Kyuhyun swallows, a strange emotion he’s not at all familiar with feeling beginning in his chest, before he shoves the sweater over him, not caring at all how he looks like.

 

He hears the toilet flush, then the sound of the sink as Donghae washes his hands, and as he leaves, turning so he can shut the door behind him, his gaze just happens to look up at where the camera is.

 

He lets go of the door, eyes locked on the camera as he gets closer and closer.

 

He hadn’t imagined it. There, over the camera lens, was Blu-tack.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t ever remember seeing that blue blob of adhesive being there, but he can’t inspect it any further as the water shuts off in the bathroom.

 

As he hurries back to the door, shutting it behind him, Kyuhyun returns Donghae’s smile as the male shuts the bathroom door too.

 

As he follows after the male, Kyuhyun can’t help but turn back to their bedroom door, his mind working a mile a minute.

 

It has to be recent, sometime during his week away.

 

At least he doesn’t have to worry about tonight ever being seen by strangers, or known to anyone but himself and Donghae.

 

“What are you smiling at?” Donghae questions as they step out of the house together.

 

Kyuhyun shrugs, smiling still. “I just felt like it.”

 

Donghae ruffles his hair as he passes him, muttering about if such a thing as being drunk on Soul Energy exists.

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head, but doesn’t reach up to tidy it.

 

He just follows after Donghae, feeling a lot lighter than he’s ever felt around the male without having them share Soul Energy.

 

It felt like a fresh start between them, and this time, Kyuhyun was going to be a lot more welcoming to it.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, if you're lost about anything, to check the end notes in chapter 3 for definitions! ^-^


	8. Chapter 8

 

 

 

 

The airing of the next few episodes show the progression Kyuhyun had made with not just the rest of the housemates, but also with his roommate.

 

Kyuhyun could even see it himself, see the wall he had put up come down inch by inch with every scene he is doing something with a fellow housemate.

 

He doesn’t look as stiff, he actually looks like he’s enjoying the time in the house.

 

And the viewers are liking seeing this side to him.

 

They love the progression made with Donghae even more.

 

Their ‘bromance’ is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it shows both of them in positive light, but it’s a curse because the more the viewers – Kyuhyun and Donghae’s fans in particular – lap up their blooming friendship, the more the directors and editing staff are using their cuts.

 

Which means both have been extremely on alert to keep their secret hidden.

 

It’s just over the halfway point of their time in the house, the show coming to end close to Christmas because that’s when everyone is going to be away working – some of the housemates that had rare schedules now have more than they’re used due to the interest in the show, so this season of the show was going to end just before Christmas.

 

Donghae snaps his fingers in front of Kyuhyun’s face, startling him and causing him to jerk.

 

“And you’re back,” the older male teases, and Kyuhyun rolls his eyes as he focuses back into the present.

 

The cast of the show were having a magazine shoot, the main groups shots had already been done, now everyone was waiting for their smaller groups to be photographed.

 

“It’s going to be dark by the time we’re called,” Kyuhyun comments, eye on the setting sun as he sits down.

 

Donghae hums as he joins him. “I think we’re outside too.”

 

Kyuhyun groans at that. “It’s fucking cold, though!”

 

Donghae’s automatic smack to his thigh at his cussing is familiar now, that Kyuhyun grins with it, which is a lot better to how he used to react to it.

 

“Outside shots are the best,” the model says as he watches the staff bustle around them. “Night shots are rare, but worth the pain of setting it all up.”

 

Kyuhyun disagrees, wincing at the thought of the cold and the bright LED lights. “Yeah, no. Give me a warm interior shoot any day.”

 

“Spoiled Idol.”

 

Donghae’s chuckling to himself before Kyuhyun can even bite back, their bond already telling the older male exactly how Kyuhyun feels about the comment.

 

“I’m gonna step on your toe when you’re not expecting it,” Kyuhyun vows. “I’ll get an ugly picture out of you.”

 

Donghae laughs loudly at that, and Kyuhyun rolls his eyes, shoving the male to shut up as some of the staff glance over.

 

Kyuhyun feels the bond at the back of his mind drum with happiness, can feel the extra warmth like a flush over his skin.

 

They haven’t addressed the bond ever since The Night where Kyuhyun was Energy Starved and then was promptly drunk with Soul Energy.

 

Both are keenly aware they’re more attuned to each other, to the point now that Kyuhyun can sense the other male more clearly now when he’s nearby, or how sometimes he can feel phantom sensation over his skin, like he’s being touched.

 

It’s all about the connection – both emotionally and physically, and Kyuhyun has a feeling that when they attend their doctor’s appointment once the show is over, the doctor is going to confirm they’re officially bonded.

 

There is still a lot of questions, none of which can be safely discussed just yet, but Kyuhyun does wonder a lot about how much Donghae gets from him.

 

Kyuhyun has no idea if the bond can be selective – can he share certain feelings or is it just whatever is strongest that filters on through to the male? He’s tried reading about it, but surprisingly, no one has wrote about the complexity of how bonds work.

 

Which is strange when you think _how_ obsessed the world is with this phenomenon.

 

Kyuhyun just adds it to his list of questions for the doctor.

 

Kyuhyun watches as Donghae chats to one of the makeup artists who he has worked with previously in the past, and finds himself wonder just how much of himself gets into Donghae’s mind.

 

Kyuhyun wonders if the male can ever sense his stage nerves, the sickening feeling when he has to answer complex questions about his band’s work, the rush of adrenaline once he’s finished a performance, or the tiredness of it all, Kyuhyun wonders how much Donghae can feel, how much the male knows.

 

Kyuhyun swallows at that last thought, feels that familiar uncomfortable tug of dread.

 

Kyuhyun catches Donghae’s slight pause, and knows it’s because he’s sensed the dread too, but carries on talking like normal, only Kyuhyun can read the male so well to have caught it.

 

Despite their progress, when Kyuhyun falls down into the depths of how their bond works, and all the ‘what ifs’, that old fear from the beginning comes back to remind him _why_ he was so against the bond growing.

 

It’s intimate. Having another person know you in such an intimate way, seemingly without any sort of control to how much that person can know, terrifies Kyuhyun.

 

Yes, he’s comfortable with Donghae now, but this fear of Kyuhyun’s isn’t anything personal towards the male. Kyuhyun, by nature, is very deep. He shares what he feels needs to be shared, and that is it. He’s a private person – which makes being in this industry about ten times harder – but that isn’t something he can suddenly change.

 

Being bonded to Donghae tests his comfortability, and as a result, it causes Kyuhyun moments of pure anxiety.

 

Donghae is similar, however, he knows how to be open like it’s a part of his nature.

 

Donghae, as Kyuhyun has learnt, is a master at showing the world what they expect of him. The male is quiet by nature, a listener than a talker, a keeper rather than a sharer, and is very selective to who he decides is worthy of his trust.

 

Donghae will talk to anyone, he’s friendly and kind, but Kyuhyun has seen the male take it no further than just that.

 

Maybe it’s because of their jobs that they’re both like this, maybe they both fear people getting close enough to them that they know things the rest of the world could use against them.

 

“Basement duo!” the photographer shouts, causing Kyuhyun to jump at the sudden call. “Get ready, we’re heading upstairs!”

 

As they both head to where hair and makeup are situated, to get the final touches to their looks done, Kyuhyun catches Donghae’s concerned look.

 

When he passes the older male, he very briefly squeezes the male’s arm to let him know that he’s fine.

 

It’s up to the bond to decide if it should be truthful or not.

 

 

 

 

“It’s fucking cold,” Kyuhyun huffs out the second they’re on the roof of the building the shoot had been taken place in. “It’s only the end of November, why is it so cold?”

 

Donghae doesn’t respond, and Kyuhyun glares as the male gets sucked into work mode, his whole demeanour changing now they’re on set.

 

Kyuhyun heads for the heater, trying to remove the scowl that is trying to imprint itself on his face.

 

When he’s called from the heaven of heat, Kyuhyun can feel that scowl threatening to return the second joins Donghae against the railing, Seoul’s nightline lit up behind them.

 

“You look so miserable,” Donghae laughs.

 

“At least you’re wearing a coat,” Kyuhyun hisses, body threatening to start to shake. “I’m the one who has to sing, I’m the one who should be bundled up in that coat, not this thin blazer.”

 

“Ah, but a coat would ruin the cold, rocker image.”

 

“The cold is going to freeze my balls off,” Kyuhyun huffs out passionately, slightly shifting from foot to foot to keep warm.

 

Donghae, not expecting such a thing from him, barks out a laugh just as the photographer takes a test shot to make sure the settings are perfect.

 

Kyuhyun smirks as Donghae whines to the photographer about not being prepared.

 

“If that’s an ugly picture, I’m going to make sure it ends up in the magazine,” Kyuhyun promises as they both straighten, ready for the shoot to begin as they watch the camera.

 

The camera flashes, the photographer moving in closer.

 

They change poses.

 

The camera flashes again, the photographer stops to check it.

 

“Let’s make a bet,” Donghae suddenly whispers, and Kyuhyun has to lean slightly to hear.

 

He gives the male a quirked eyebrow.

 

“You have to get a bad shot of me,” Donghae continues, eyes still on the photographer, “and I have to get a good one of you.”

 

“All of my photos are good,” Kyuhyun points out. “What’s the point?”

 

The rush of sudden tingles over his skin has Kyuhyun inhaling sharply as Donghae smirks, and finally looks at him.

 

“The point is, I’m going to make you blush and have it captured for all to see.”

 

Ignoring the way the bond is currently reacting, Kyuhyun grins. “You’re on.”

 

The flash of the camera catches that moment of a challenge being accepted.

 

 

 

 

It isn’t until they’re looking back at the photos taken so far that Kyuhyun sees it.

 

It’s like a punch to the stomach, but he can’t look away.

 

“Wow,” he breathes out to himself, tapping for the next image to come up. “Wow.”

 

“Natural chemistry,” the assistant comments, overhearing his moment. “You two are very photogenic together.”

 

Kyuhyun can only stare at the screen.

 

“Yeah,” he dimly says, transfixed. “We look good.”

 

The assistant coos about him being modest, but Kyuhyun is only stating the obvious. They look fucking good together, and it’s making it hard for Kyuhyun to look away.

 

It’s their eyes. The shots of them interacting with each other or posing towards each other, their eyes say more than their body.

 

Kyuhyun knows the reason why they both were so focused was because of their personal challenge, but to the outside eye, it comes across as something else.

 

“We’re going to take a few more shots,” the photographer calls, and Kyuhyun pushes away from the computer, back to where Donghae is currently taking a picture of himself with Seoul.

 

The LED lights dim, casting a subtle light instead of the harsh beam, and Kyuhyun’s heart starts to speed up a bit.

 

“I just want you guys to act natural, no posing!”

 

He hears her shout about forgetting the crew and her, and as the music is turned up a little higher to compensate for the rise of wind, Kyuhyun pauses, watching the model take pictures of himself.

 

Donghae notices him. “What?”

 

Kyuhyun watches the way the wind messes with Donghae’s hair, and the model does nothing to stop or tame it, allowing it to move as it pleases. How the male’s fringe is moved so that for a few seconds the male’s eyes are framed in a way that accentuates the subtle sultry eye makeup, before the wind blows the image away.

 

Kyuhyun is aware that the image robs him of breath, and is thankful Donghae can only see his face, because even though he is trying to remain impassive, the bond could be telling another story.

 

Donghae grins slowly. “Take a picture with me.”

 

“I’ve just took about thirty with you.” Kyuhyun takes a step forward, leaving everything else behind him as he’s sucked into Donghae’s bubble.

 

“So one more isn’t going to kill you.”

 

“I dunno,” Kyuhyun says, stepping closer. “I’m pretty fucking cold, I’m sure my heart is going to stop.”

 

“Then let’s get it beating harder.”

 

Kyuhyun freezes upon instinct, but relaxes a second later as Donghae’s arm around his waist tugs him closer, his other arm raised, their faces staring back at them on the screen.

 

Kyuhyun blinks just as the male takes it, and Donghae laughs at the result.

 

“You suck as a photographer,” Kyuhyun hisses, willing his cheeks to not burn because that means the older male has won.

 

“I’m the short one, you’re the one who should be taking the picture.”

 

Kyuhyun wordlessly plucks the phone from Donghae’s hand. “Get on your tiptoes.”

 

“I’m older, you squat down.”

 

“I’m the one dressed in these stupid tight pants, get on your tiptoes.”

 

Donghae sighs, but does as he’s asked as he presses closer, using Kyuhyun’s frame for leverage, and Kyuhyun gets the angle right.

 

“They’re tight because your thighs are huge,” Donghae murmurs just as Kyuhyun’s thumb presses the capture button.

 

Kyuhyun’s shocked face and Donghae’s cheeky grin is captured.

 

“Aw, I was hoping it would make you blush,” Donghae says, disappointed as he looks at the photo.

 

Kyuhyun, beyond caught off guard, shoves the male away from him. “You’re gonna have to do better than that.”

 

Donghae smirks, amused. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Kyuhyun is about to retort when he catches sight of the photographer in the corner of his vision, and turns to see her with the camera in her face, clicking away without any flash.

 

 _That’s_ what causes him to blush.

 

When they look back at the photos, Donghae takes a picture of that one as proof.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t linger around to look at them or deal with a very pleased Donghae.

 

He hightails it indoors, welcoming the warmth and ignoring how anticipation runs through him.

 

Tonight has been strange, and Kyuhyun needs to analyse it in small chunks first.

 

Because if by the way his heart and stomach is currently feeling, then he has a new problem to deal with.

 

The whole point of a platonic bond was for things to be completely free of anything relating to romance.

 

A platonic bond is completely void the second a crush develops.

 

Kyuhyun cannot have a crush on Donghae.

 

He can’t.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun quickly learns that you can’t avoid someone if you live with them.

 

Especially if that someone is someone who you are Soul Bonded with.

 

It takes a day after the photoshoot before Donghae corners him in their room.

 

“Let me out,” Kyuhyun demands.

 

Donghae turns the lock instead. “You’re avoiding me.”

 

Kyuhyun glares down at the lock before looking up at the male. “I’m going to piss if you don’t move.”

 

Donghae rolls his eyes and sits on the bottom of his bed, leaving Kyuhyun standing. “You’re avoiding me, why?” he asks again.

 

Kyuhyun grabs the door handle, and Donghae grabs the sleeve of his hoodie.

 

“You’re being paranoid,” he lies, tugging his arm.

 

Donghae doesn’t let go. “Am I?”

 

“Yes, now let-”

 

“Why are you nervous?”

 

Kyuhyun’s entire body, and maybe soul, freezes at the male’s blunt question.

 

Kyuhyun turns a little so he can meet the older male’s burning gaze. “What?”

 

“Right now, you’re nervous,” Donghae answers, gaze fixed. “Every time I come near, I get a wave of nerves through the bond.”

 

“Okay, someone’s ego needs to chill,” Kyuhyun rushes out.

 

He doesn’t even breathe when he’s suddenly got Donghae _very_ close and personal in his space, hand still on his sleeve.

 

“You’re nervous,” Donghae states, voice hushed due to them being so close as he relays what he’s feeling due to their bond. “It feels like my heart is hammering against my ribs.”

 

Kyuhyun inhales sharply, trying to fight back his own emotion.

 

However, Kyuhyun’s eyes slip down when the older male’s tongue peeks out to lick his dry lips.

 

The second Kyuhyun’s brain formulates the thought of _‘dry lips are bad for kissing’_ , is the second Kyuhyun is fighting with the lock as his entire body _burns_ with the thought.

 

He lets out a surprised gasp as he’s tugged back, his spine awkwardly pressed against the door with half of the door handle pressed to his side, and starts breathing fast as Donghae crowds him.

 

Donghae’s hand is firm around his wrist now, his eyes wild as he recovers from the burn of lust and embarrassment from Kyuhyun.

 

“Look, Donghae,” Kyuhyun desperately starts, mind panicking, as he tries to salvage the situation. “I-”

 

He chokes on his words as he feels the spike of excitement course through his veins, his body burning up as the bond relays Donghae’s emotional mind frame.

 

That hand on his wrist loosens, and travels up.

 

Kyuhyun swallows the second it cups the side of his flushed neck, gently.

 

He doesn’t know if it’s the dose of Soul Energy or just Kyuhyun’s reaction, but he shudders slightly at the touch, eyes shutting as the warmth seeps through him.

 

He feels Donghae press closer at the same time Kyuhyun grabs the front of his shirt.

 

“Kyuhyun-”

 

Kyuhyun practically jerks off from the door the second someone starts hammering on it from the other side, his heart rammed up into his throat in fright.

 

“You ready, Hae?” Siwon calls. “I’m heading out now!”

 

Kyuhyun tries to calm down from having a minor heart attack, and belatedly notices that he’s clutching at Donghae, and the soothing hand rubbing up and down his spine and the soft soothing sound Donghae is making.

 

Both break apart when they’re both aware of how they’re holding each other.

 

Kyuhyun rushes to his bed to avoid having to face Donghae, and the older male unlocks the door and opens it to greet the waiting male.

 

“Why was it locked?” Siwon asks the second it is opened, confused.

 

“We were napping,” Donghae lies easily, stepping out.

 

Kyuhyun looks up from his phone (which was upside down) to see Siwon shrugging.

 

“You fancy anything to eat?” Siwon asks him.

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. “Have fun.”

 

Siwon salutes him and leaves first, but Donghae lingers as he shuts the door.

 

They make eye contact before he shuts it properly, and Kyuhyun sags on his bed the second it breaks.

 

With a hand to his hammering heart, Kyuhyun’s mind is racing too fast for him to pay attention to the bond for once.

 

Just when he thought we had everything clear and sorted, Donghae once again ruins it.

 

Kyuhyun presses the back of his hand to his cheeks, feels how hot they are, and lets out one long breath.

 

There is no way he’s going to be able to avoid this. They need to address what happened….what _almost_ happened.

 

“We almost kissed,” Kyuhyun whispers to himself, stunned still. “We came so close to kissing.”

 

Kyuhyun is suddenly floored by the memory of their first brief kiss, how it had happened without thought, just the pull of it.

 

It was almost the same.

 

Kyuhyun is tempted to organise an emergency doctor’s appointment, but knows the answer can only come from him and Donghae alone.

 

They almost kissed for a reason.

 

The back of Kyuhyun’s head hits off the bedframe.

 

“So much for a platonic bond, huh?”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, tension. What a lovely thing it is. Makes you want to rip your hair out, doesn't it? ;p
> 
> Chapter 9 will be posted on Wednesday, and the final chapter will be posted on Saturday!
> 
> (also, for the next 2 chapters, get ready. You may get feels whiplash because things get _real_. pray for kyuhae)


	9. Chapter 9

 

 

 

During a spare moment during practise for the upcoming special Christmas and New Year  music shows, Kyuhyun takes full advantage of them waiting for their takeout food to arrive, and innocently opens Instagram, heading for a certain someone’s account.

 

Seeing the three new images, Kyuhyun feels that familiar buzz of warmth through him as he checks out the model’s pictures.

 

Donghae was away for a job, but the older male was still consistent with his nearly daily pictures.

 

If he had his way, he would like all of the older male’s stuff – he likes Donghae’s aesthetic, nothing more – but apparently it would be socially unacceptable for Kyuhyun to go back to the very start of Donghae’s Instagram and like all of the male’s earlier stuff.

 

For the next few minutes, he sits there, eyes glued to his screen as he keeps flicking back and forth between the three images, deciding which one to choose.

 

He eventually decides on the photo that was taken by a member of staff whilst Donghae models, liking how focused the older male is. It also helps that the older male looked absolutely divine in the designer suit too.

 

To kill time, he checks out his feed, see what antics Amber may have gotten up to in the house, or if Minho has posted any potentially embarrassing images from their practise session.

 

What catches his eyes, however, is an advertisement in between the posts.

 

Clicking on it, Kyuhyun’s stomach churns a little as he’s reminded of one of the main selling points when it comes to Soul Partners.

 

“How could I have forgotten this,” he whispers to himself, scrolling through the images. “Every Soul Partner advertisement has these on show.”

 

Seeing the Mark on the male’s neck – probably Photoshopped – but seeing the Mark that tells the world you were one of the lucky few to find your Soul Partner, caused Kyuhyun’s stomach to churn with unease.

 

His body is clean of any Mark.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t know if he should be relieved or remain downtrodden that the bond with Donghae hasn’t become final yet.

 

A Mark is something Reunited Souls will only wear on their skin when the Reunification and Transfer of the bond is complete, and it showcases they have found their Soul Partner. The Mark is like scarification, white and thin, and can appear in whatever shape. Kyuhyun has seen plenty over the years due to the media’s adoration of it, but he’s never seen a Mark on an actual person.

 

As he clears his screen of the reminder of something he hasn’t got, Kyuhyun’s mind delves into wondering how much more has to Transfer between himself and Donghae.

 

“Wait, what am I evening think?” Kyuhyun chastises himself harshly, pushing aside the entire topic. “Platonic bonds don’t have Marks. Platonic bonds don’t complete the Transfer because the Transfer is purely about passing the imprint of love each soul carries for the other.”

 

Hearing the sound of his rowdy bandmates returning with the food, Kyuhyun tries to shake off the sudden dark cloud over his head.

 

Since that moment in the bedroom, neither of them have spoken to each other about it.

 

To be fair, both have been busy, but that’s just an excuse really.

 

Kyuhyun wants to know, but he also doesn’t.

 

He’s had a few days to reason that maybe Donghae had been too influenced by Kyuhyun’s emotions, the bond confusing the older male into behaving the way he did, and maybe now as they both were avoiding each other, the older male didn’t know how to address the mistake.

 

Kyuhyun, unfortunately, doesn’t see it as a mistake.

 

It took him a whole sleepless night to admit that to himself.

 

His little crush on the older male was still there, growing, as is evident with his daily routine of checking out Donghae’s Instagram.

 

As Changmin drags him out of his chair to sit on the floor with their feast, Kyuhyun allows himself a few seconds to focus on the bond, checking in on the older male.

 

It had become a habit, long before this whole ‘crush’ thing happened, but as he focuses on the slight niggling sensation in the back of his mind, like a dull itch he can’t get rid of, the bond tells him that all is well with Donghae, no stress was leaking through or anything else negatively.

 

It was just its normal warm sensation of neutrality.

 

“I bet you’re glad for the next week to be here and done with,” Changmin comments before shovelling noodles into his mouth.

 

Kyuhyun grimaces at the reminder of the Christmas/farewell party the finale was going to be based around.

 

“At least we’re not dressing up this time,” Kyuhyun says, mildly relieved. “Can you imagine Siwon dressed as Santa?”

 

Minho sniggers at that.

 

“Try not to be smug,” Changmin says once he’s managed to swallow his food.

 

Kyuhyun’s chewing slows, and he raises an eyebrow in question.

 

“You and Donghae,” Minho cuts in. “You’re the only couple there, so try not to feel so smug about it.”

 

Kyuhyun almost chokes on swallowing the dumpling.

 

Changmin reaches over the smack his back whilst also taking care to fill his mouth once again with food.

 

Kyuhyun waves the brutality off, recovering.

 

“We’re not a couple,” he wheezes out, glare fixed on the younger male. “You know that.”

 

Minho waves it off. “Soul Partners, same thing. Just make sure to avoid the mistletoe, the directors would love that to happen.”

 

 _We’ve already kissed once, and almost kissed again_ , Kyuhyun thinks to himself, and thankfully doesn’t say it aloud because he does not want to spend the rest of the night dealing with any comments his band would no doubt make.

 

“Maybe one of the idols will get caught under it,” Changmin sniggers, amused by the idea. “That would be hilarious to see happen. Idols are too stiff, man.”

 

Kyuhyun tunes them out.

 

This time next week, Kyuhyun will be free.

 

Kyuhyun’s stomach flutters a little.

 

This time next week, Kyuhyun and Donghae will be having their check-up. The day where uncomfortable and intimate questions will be asked, and they have to be in the same room to answer them.

 

Kyuhyun looks down at his food and feels his appetite dim.

 

This time next week, he won’t be seeing Donghae as frequently he’s been used to. They’ll probably only meet up when they need to give the other Soul Energy. He’s going to miss hanging out with the older male.

 

Kyuhyun discreetly pushes his food away, reaching for his bottle of water.

 

Suddenly, he doesn’t want next week to even come.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, next week comes and goes too fast for Kyuhyun’s liking.

 

The party had been subdued, since they had spent their final night in the house watching back clips the editing department had made for them to talk about.

 

It had been nice, seeing how everyone in the house had grown more and more comfortable around the house and each other, reliving some of the most hilarious moments to have happened, and to comment on those moments where tension did get a bit too high.

 

Mistletoe did appear at the very end as one by one they each said goodbye, leaving the house in turns with the luggage they had brought with them on the very first night.

 

Luckily, all escaped without having to kiss anyone. Much to Amber’s disappointment since it was all her doing.

 

Kyuhyun had left towards the middle, not wanting to be first or last.

 

It had been strange saying goodbye to the housemates, but when it came to hugging Donghae goodbye, his entire body didn’t like it at all.

 

Donghae had squeezed him tighter with a whispered demand for Kyuhyun to wait for him before letting him go.

 

Kyuhyun had been disoriented, his body going hot and cold with every step he took down the steps, heading for his manager’s car.

 

He had started to shake by the time he got into the car, and couldn’t explain why to his manager when he sat there, shaking and sweating.

 

His manager did as Kyuhyun told him, to pull further down the street so they were out of the way, and waited for Donghae’s turn to leave.

 

By the time Donghae was done with his part of the farewell, Kyuhyun was leaning against the cold exterior of the car, hidden in its shadow as he tried to calm down his body with his manager crouched beside him, wiping the sweat off him and encouraging him to drink, but pulled away when another car pulled in front of theirs.

 

Kyuhyun had reacted without question, hand already reaching out for the stumbling male as he collapses down beside Kyuhyun.

 

“So bonds hate the word ‘goodbye’,” Donghae had joked, though the male was also shaking too.

 

Kyuhyun had merely grunted, and they both sat like that for a good ten minutes, holding each other’s hand, their heads resting against each other as their Soul Energy corrects the emotional breakdown their bond was inflicting on them.

 

Today, Kyuhyun will probably find out the reason why that happened.

 

“I hate doctors,” he grumbles to himself, buried in his scarf as he waits.

 

Donghae chuckles from where he’s sitting in the other chair beside Kyuhyun in the office. “You don’t even know what he’ll be doing with us.”

 

“Which is why I’m currently feeling like shit. How the hell do they test Soul Partners?”

 

He sees Donghae shrug from out of the corner of his eye. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

 

Kyuhyun has plenty of guesses rampaging his mind.

 

Both stand when the doctor, who had treated them all of the weeks ago, comes into the room.

 

“We’ll just run some health checks,” the older male says as he settles himself at his desk. “Make sure you’re both healthy, since that will tell us if your Soul is healthy too.”

 

“So that’s how you test it?” Donghae asks, curious. “Just by checking our health?”

 

The doctor nods. “Remember, Souls become copies of the other when they find each other. Your physical health determines how healthy your Soul is, and whether more Soul Energy is needed.”

 

The doctor nods at Kyuhyun to speak, since he’s currently gawping at him. “Yes?”

 

“You…” Kyuhyun struggles to get the words out. “You said we become copies? What does that even mean?”

 

“Ah, nothing extreme as it sounds,” the doctor assures. “It’s like a safety clause. From what we know, for example, we know that Soul Partners blood type changes to match perfectly with the other.”

 

“And that isn’t extreme?” Kyuhyun repeats, voice thin, stunned. “You’re saying a person’s _blood type_ changes. How-”

 

“Part of the phenomenon,” the doctor smiles. “You know how hard it is to truly research it. We just know certain facts, not the mechanics of those facts.”

 

Kyuhyun sags back in his chair, completely stunned.

 

“What else changes?” Donghae asks, curious.

 

“It varies on the Soul Partners. The main one documented is the changing of blood type, but senses can change too. There have been cases where glands were tested and it came back that the Soul Partners base scent was the exact same – they had the same scent.”

 

Kyuhyun glances over at Donghae to see the male looking awed.

 

“When you get down to the nitty gritty details, it’s amazing,” the older male says, and the doctors smiles.

 

“It is indeed, we have so many theories but not enough concrete evidence. It’s another reason why Soul Partners are a blessing.”

 

Kyuhyun eyes the male, trying to determine if that was a subtle dig at how Kyuhyun had reacted all those weeks ago.

 

“Right, let’s get started, shall we?” the doctor begins, straightening. “We’ll take some blood from you both, but first, I just want to check the routine stuff.”

 

Kyuhyun zones out during the whole thing. Once their blood pressure, and temperature, was taken, a nurse came in to assist with the blood taking.

 

The second Kyuhyun felt the spike of unease, he went to reach out to the male beside him to offer some comfort.

 

The doctor stopped him, kindly explaining that it might influence Donghae’s results, but the look Donghae gave Kyuhyun was worth the effort of at least trying.

 

 “Okay, now all that is done, I’m just going to ask you a few questions,” the doctor says once the door shuts behind the nurse.

 

Kyuhyun swallows. _Here we go._

 

“Just answer simply, no need to go into detail just yet,” the male adds, smiling as he types away on his computer.

 

They both glance at each other at the same time at that.

 

“Let’s start with Donghae. Donghae, how often would you say you’ve had to go to Kyuhyun for Soul Energy since your last visit?”

 

“Not often?” Donghae says, glancing back at Kyuhyun for confirmation, who nods.

 

“Can you give me a rough number for each week?”

 

“Err…like every other day? Once or twice?”

 

Kyuhyun watches as the doctor types, already dreading his turn.

 

“Kyuhyun, the same question applies to you.”

 

Kyuhyun’s palms start to sweat. “Often.”

 

The doctors continues to type. “How often?”

 

Kyuhyun swallows.

 

The doctor pauses and looks over at him.

 

“It depended on what-”

 

“I asked for a simple estimate, not details, Kyuhyun. How often did you seek out Donghae?”

 

Kyuhyun grits his teeth. “5.”

 

The doctor studies him. “Kyuhyun, have you had any repeats of Energy Starvation since you were last here?”

 

Kyuhyun’s neck flushes. “Yes.”

 

The doctor begins typing again, faster. “How many times?”

 

“Once.”

 

“Twice,” Donghae corrects, causing both Kyuhyun and the doctor to snap their attention to him. “He was borderline being Energy Starved at one point, but he has only experienced Energy Starvation one more time since being admitted here.”

 

“When?” Kyuhyun demands, mind racing to remember.

 

“Our second week in the house. You were overworked.”

 

The memory them sitting on the bedroom floor, asleep against each other, floods his mind.

 

The start of their bond growing.

 

“How did you deal with those moments?” the doctor asks. “I recall you both stating that minimal contact would be used to prevent the emotional part of the bond from forming and completing.”

 

“The first time he almost went into Energy Starvation, we merely lay near each other, resting against each other. The second time…”

 

“The second time, Donghae held me,” Kyuhyun cuts in, eyes on the doctor, daring him to react. “He held me all night.”

 

The doctor goes back to his computer, and they wait for more questions.

 

“Do you have a Mark?” the doctor candidly asks, glancing over at them.

 

Kyuhyun can feel both of their mutual awkwardness at the question as they both shake their head.

 

“Interesting,” the doctor murmurs, fingers moving fast as he types again. “It’s been over two months now and the bond is still forced platonic.”

 

Kyuhyun feels his entire body burn at the male’s assumption, but neither of them correct him.

 

“Okay, Kyuhyun?” Kyuhyun watches as the male stands up, gesturing for them both to do so. “If you will both just follow me into the next room.”

 

They go into a smaller box room, and Kyuhyun eyes the familiar machine he had been hooked up to when he had woke up in hospital.

 

“You’re testing our Soul Energy?” Kyuhyun asks, moving to sit in the chair the doctor directs towards. “I thought you said our health checks do that?”

 

Kyuhyun stiffens when only he is hooked up. “Why isn’t Donghae being hooked up?”

 

“He has yet to experience Energy Starvation, you, on the other hand, have experienced it almost three times,” the doctor states calmly as he sets up the Energy Reader machine. “We need to see why.”

 

Kyuhyun can’t quite control the sudden ball of anxiety exploding from within his chest, and looks to Donghae for help.

 

Both of them startle when the machine starts beeping, alerting that Kyuhyun is below the threshold and is low on Soul Energy, and Kyuhyun gets a sense of deja vu.

 

“When did you last have Soul Energy contact?” the doctor asks them as he makes notes of the reading.

 

Donghae stares at the line on the machine. “Last night. We hung out, eating pizza as we watched the final episode air.”

 

“What type of contact did you have?”

 

“The type where you have a grown man with long legs draped over you since he refuses to sit properly,” Donghae answers, trying to ease Kyuhyun with his playful tone as the machine continues to beep. “We were pretty close.”

 

“Is it worth pointing out that I feel fine?” Kyuhyun throws out there, watching the machine. “I feel normal, despite this thing shrieking that I’m not.”

 

“You feel fine because this is your normal level,” the doctor tells him, done making notes. “It explains why you frequently need Soul Energy. Your Soul Energy is on the lower end of the Energy Spectrum.”

 

“Can you say that again, but in English,” Kyuhyun asks, lost. “Is there something wrong with me?”

 

“No,” the doctor assures confidently, and he can feel the concern coming from Donghae fade at that. “We use the Energy Spectrum in the early stages of a Soul Partnership to help determine how often Soul Partners need to touch. It gives all parties an idea of how much contact they truly need to maintain healthy lives.”

 

“And Kyuhyun is on the lower end if it?” Donghae clarifies. “Why?”

 

The doctor shrugs. “Maybe it’s a temporary thing, due to the bond being unfinished so it’s affecting Kyuhyun in that sense. Most often, it’s just the character of the Soul. They simply just need more than another Soul would.”

 

“I have a weak soul,” Kyuhyun summarises, faintly hearing Changmin’s voice in his head calling him such a thing at the very start.

 

“We’ll know in time,” the doctor concludes. “We’ll keeping testing you, monitoring you to prevent from being Energy Starved because it is not healthy for you to keep slipping into that. It’s dangerous, so we will be monitoring you more closely from now on.”

 

“If we become 100% bonded, will that help?” Donghae asks carefully. “If it…if we allow it to change from platonic and allow the bond to grow, will it help?”

 

The doctor turns the machine off, to stop the beeping, and the silence that follows it is unnerving.

 

“If you allow the Transfer to complete, a bond can remain platonic,” the doctor tells them softly, an educating lilt to his tone. “No one can predict if a bond is platonic or not until the Transfer is complete. You can love someone in a platonic way. Love doesn’t always mean in a romantic intimate way.”

 

“As your doctor, I can only advise you. Here is the advice I should’ve told you from day one – allow the Transfer to complete. Keeping a Transfer from completing is only a temporary way of keeping a platonic bond, soon enough, your bodies will demand for the Transfer to be completed. It will start to demand more Soul Energy, which equals to draining health.”

 

“Think of the Transfer as an electric grid,” the doctor suggests at seeing their expressions. “You have a light bulb, wires, and a source of power. If you only connect a few wires to one side of it to make the light bulb work, it’s going to be faint, but still on. However, over time, if you leave the connection like that, you will burnout the light bulb and power source because it isn’t being used properly.”

 

“You’re not being consistent with your level of contact either,” the male adds as an afterthought. “What happens if you mess with the wires, constantly flickering the light bulb from full power to limited power?”

 

“You’ll blow the light bulb,” Kyuhyun answers, mouth dry. “Or fry the wires. You’ll ruin the grid.”

 

The doctor nods. “Do this long enough with a Transfer, teasing between level of contact intimacy, and you – Kyuhyun – will land yourself in hospital.”

 

“So we take the risk,” Donghae says, and the doctor nods. “We allow the Transfer to complete.”

 

“You both need to decide this, discuss both sides. Your bond is either strictly platonic, or it’s romantic. You both need to be mindful of the long term for either.”

 

Kyuhyun finds himself stiffly nodding, having no words in his head to use.

 

He knew this appointment was going to be tough, but he never expected for all of this to land on their shoulders.

 

When they leave the office, both parting ways after promising to make time to talk about what was discussed, Kyuhyun finds himself lost to his thoughts for the rest of the day.

 

Kyuhyun already knows what their bond is, why they’re so pulled to each other, and why they kissed in the first place. Why he’s suddenly start seeing the male in a different light, feel differently towards the older male.

 

Their bond isn’t platonic.

 

It never was.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitions (* - marked, most commonly used throughout the fic)
> 
> 1\. _Soul (not my own definition, you can thank the dictionary for this):_ regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body. The spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come. The emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.
> 
> 2\. _Soul Partners*:_ A Soul’s other half(ves). A Soul Partner may just have one other, or more. 
> 
> 3\. _Soul Bond:_ it can be romantic or platonic. Bond allows the Soul Partner(s) to share emotions and a sense of awareness to the other(s). 
> 
> 4\. _Soul Energy*:_ Soul’s life force. It is directly linked to their partner(s), and is only awakened when rejoined. It feeds the Bond, helps nurture each other’s soul, and also to keep each other healthy in general. 
> 
> 5\. _Energy Starvation:_ Links with the Transfer. Souls are reconnecting, and in the process, it will influence the body too. During the Transfer, Energy Starvation is dangerous because it is so easy to not get enough of physical contact whilst souls try to rejoin. If Energy Starvation occurs and lingers, the body will begin to deteriorate. If help isn’t sought, the soul that is suffering the starvation the most will die first. Soul Partners cannot starve alone, all that is bonded will starve too. 
> 
> 6\. _Transfer:_ Happens during the initial stages of reunifying of the souls. Transfer indicates to the imprint of the love that each soul carries for the other. This love is transferred during the constant physical touching. It builds the emotional bond (aka Soul Bond).
> 
> 7\. _Reunification:_ The act of Soul Partners accomplishing in finding the other and beginning the Transfer. It is the action of souls becoming one again.
> 
> 8\. _Mark_ : Reunited souls will then bare a mark on their skin to showcase they have found their Soul Partner. However, if the Soul Partners indeed have another soul that has yet to join them, the mark on their skin will only be half complete and faded. The marks/scarification differ, depending on the souls.
> 
> 9\. _Platonic Soul Bond_ : Some Souls are connected to others purely due to the nature of the Souls being so mutually alike without any romantic inclinations. Also known as the ‘Platonic Bonds’.
> 
> 10\. _Energy Spectrum:_ Some souls register on the lower or higher end of how much contact is needed to maintain a healthy bonded life. This is almost a rarity.
> 
>  
> 
> Adding this again to save you all the trouble from going back to chapter 3, plus it has been updated!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning - you will suffer from feels whiplash as things go from all 'calm and lovely~', to 'holy shit'.

 

 

 

 

 

Their talk never happens.

 

It’s the last week of December, which means hell for all entertainers that are lucky enough to be invited to the three main music shows end of year productions.

 

This year, Kyuhyun’s band was with all three of them, which meant last minute remixes of their hit songs from the year, collaborations with other artists – mainly idols, much to Changmin’s misery – and hours spent rehearsing each show.

 

With one music show done, and another two to go, Kyuhyun was already running on two hours of sleep.

 

Today’s end of year show has Kyuhyun’s band switching dynamics completely.

 

They’re dressing, and going to be performing, as a girl group.

 

Kyuhyun can barely stand in the small heels, watching as Changmin goes through the steps once again in their compact dressing room.

 

“You know, for someone who hates idols, you know a lot of group dances,” Kyuhyun comments, barely awake after his soul has almost escaped via the huge yawn he’s just made.

 

Changmin, who expertly turns in his high heels, points at him in warning. “I never said ‘hated’.”

 

“Mate, you wouldn’t even live in a house with a few of them because you can’t stand them!” Kyuhyun reminds him.

 

“It’s only because he trained as an idol,” Minho interjects, and Kyuhyun stares at the youngest because he’s pretty sure he had misheard what he had said.

 

“Repeat that.”

 

“Don’t you even dare,” Changmin growls, stomping over to the youngest, and Kyuhyun pulls Minho towards him for safety.

 

“Yeah, we both had brief stints as idol trainees,” Minho says gleefully, and Kyuhyun gawks at the tall male who is trying very hard to look intimidating in a pair of heels with his trouser legs rolled up to his knees.

 

“Now it all makes sense,” Kyuhyun says, giddy with the news. “You don’t hate them-”

 

“Don’t you even dare say what I think you’re gonna say,” Changmin growls, face pink.

 

“You sympathise with them, because you know from experience how hard it is!”

 

Both Kyuhyun and Minho start cackling as Changmin becomes flustered.

 

They both get a random shirt thrown at them before he storms back to his corner, back to them, as he practises the girl group’s dance.

 

“I think that news has made my year,” Kyuhyun manages out, wiping his eye from tears caused through laughter.

 

“I can hear your laugh from down the corridor.”

 

Kyuhyun sobers up immediately at the sound of Donghae’s voice, his tired mind too exhausted to have noticed the bond thrumming happily with the male’s presence.

 

Minho excuses himself after greeting the older male, and Kyuhyun waves for the male to follow him out of the cramped room and into a vacant one across.

 

“You should’ve told me you were stopping by,” Kyuhyun says as he drops down on the small sofa, a heavy tired sigh leaving him.

 

“I did,” Donghae says, amused as he sits beside him.

 

Kyuhyun blinks at him. “Really?”

 

Donghae nods, his hand running through Kyuhyun’s messy hair to get it out of his face. “When did you last sleep?”

 

“If you mean actually sleeping in a bed, then I can’t answer that,” Kyuhyun says, eyes slipping shut as he feels the Soul Energy slip through him, leaning in more to the male’s touch.

 

He whines when Donghae suddenly flicks his forehead, eyes snapping open to glare at the older male.

 

“Did you forget everything the doctor told you?” Donghae rebukes, pulling the younger male close.

 

Kyuhyun rearranges himself so that he’s more comfortable being cuddled up against Donghae, resting his head against the male’s chest.

 

“I’ve been busy,” he weakly defends, eyes shutting with peace as his body warms with Soul Energy.

 

“You’re more likely to drop into Energy Starvation, Kyuhyun. You need to prioritise that fact more.”

 

“I will,” Kyuhyun murmurs. “Just after this week of hell.”

 

Donghae sighs, and Kyuhyun presses closer to the male, wanting more comfort.

 

“Maybe I should invest in a portable Energy Reader so I can see how low you are,” Donghae jokes, though Kyuhyun can hear the male’s seriousness behind it.

 

“We’ll go half,” Kyuhyun mumbles, breathing turning slower as his tired mind finally stops hurting so much.

 

“When is your next rehearsal?”

 

Kyuhyun jerks in an attempt to shrug. “Manager will find me.”

 

“Yeah, but I need to know how long we have for you to get some energy back.”

 

Kyuhyun shrugs again. “I’ll be fine.”

 

He feels Donghae’s hands run through his hair, lulling him even more to sleep.

 

“Should’ve locked the door,” he hears Donghae murmur to himself.

 

Kyuhyun makes a questioning sound, head tilting up as he forces his eyes open. “Why?”

 

Donghae gazes down at him, expression tender and concerned. “So we’re not disturbed.”

 

Kyuhyun shuts his eyes, enjoying the sweet emotion coming from the male. “This is fine.”

 

Donghae sighs, his breath tickling over Kyuhyun’s face a little.

 

Kyuhyun smiles as he feels the cold tip of Donghae’s nose running over his forehead.

 

“Cute-” Kyuhyun breaks off with a gasp, eyes flying open as the wave of Soul Energy rushes through him so fast that it almost makes him feel queasy.

 

Donghae’s eyes are watching him, looking for any sign of uncomfortableness.

 

“Okay?” he asks, voice quiet. “Kyuhyun?”

 

Kyuhyun’s heart is _racing._

 

Kyuhyun nods, eyes slipping shut as Donghae leans down again.

 

Kyuhyun shudders this time, more prepared for it, but he still makes a sound as Donghae’s lips press to his head in a kiss, delivering a stronger dose of Soul Energy.

 

Kyuhyun relaxes more against Donghae, the male’s arm around Kyuhyun tightening as he presses him closer than he already is.

 

Donghae presses more chaste kisses over his forehead, and Kyuhyun _aches_ from wanting them lower.

 

He swallows, trying to keep himself collected as the Soul Energy works through his system, tries to keep anything from slipping through the bond.

 

After a while, Donghae stops, and Kyuhyun can’t help the sound of questioning leaving him as he opens his eyes again.

 

Kyuhyun is slightly taken aback by the intensity of Donghae’s eyes.

 

“Still tired?” Donghae asks, curious, and quietly.

 

Kyuhyun is still tired, but his mind is more alert than it has been the last few days.

 

He nods.

 

Donghae’s free hand - that had been running through Kyuhyun’s hair at times, rises gently, a finger touching underneath Kyuhyun’s chin.

 

Kyuhyun shudders as the finger lightly trails over his skin, almost tickling.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t know what he’s sending through the bond, but he’s getting Donghae’s anticipation loud and clear.

 

With his heart hammering away in his chest, his body flushed from Soul Energy and Donghae, Kyuhyun subtly angles his head up better.

 

That finger moves so that Donghae’s hand is cupping his jaw, and Kyuhyun’s eyes slip shut as Donghae leans down.

 

The first brush of Donghae’s lips jolts Kyuhyun’s memory of their first kiss.

 

Only this time, it isn’t brief.

 

Kissing Donghae felt like he was being submerged in Soul Energy, and the moan he makes as his entire body’s lethargy is wiped clean, is all the encouragement Donghae needs to kiss him again.

 

Without breaking the kiss, Kyuhyun moves so he’s slightly on Donghae’s lap, the older male supporting his new position, and both of them make breathy sounds of contentment as the new position allows the kiss to be more comfortable.

 

Kyuhyun’s hands find themselves clutching the male’s shirt and shoulders, Donghae’s own moving to the nape of Kyuhyun’s hair to keep their kissing secure.

 

All Kyuhyun can really focus on is kissing Donghae, how good it is, how the feel of the male’s lips against his own, the taste of the other male, how _natural_ it feels to be kissing each other so tenderly.

 

When they pause to breathe, breathing against each other’s parted lips, as if they can’t get enough of each other, Kyuhyun gets an uncontrollable need out of nowhere, and it causes him to suck in a soft moan, his hands clutching the male tighter to him.

 

“What’s wrong?” Donghae whispers, the hand supporting Kyuhyun rubbing up and down his spine.

 

Kyuhyun licks his lips, makes a soft sound at tasting Donghae’s own in the process.

 

“Kiss me again,” Kyuhyun demands, voice raw to even his own ears.

 

He hears Donghae swallow, and then the male is kissing him again, differently this time.

 

Kyuhyun moans into the kiss, pressing close to chase for more of the new intensity to it.

 

“Kyuhyun, we- Oh-kaaay!”

 

The sound of the door slamming shut has them both jerking apart, staring at the door where Minho had previously just been.

 

A rapid succession of knocks come this time.

 

“Hyung? We, er, we need to get ready for sound rehearsal.”

 

Kyuhyun slowly gets off Donghae, trying to get his head space focused on reality, and not the feeling of Donghae’s mouth.

 

“I’ll be right out!” he calls back, voice surprisingly clear, considering a few seconds ago it was raw with need.

 

He glances over at Donghae to see a flush to the male’s skin too.

 

“Feel better?” Donghae asks.

 

Kyuhyun swallows, his entire body tingling with the new energy. “Just a little.”

 

Donghae catches his lie and smirks, amused. “Maybe next time, we’ll have longer.”

 

Kyuhyun can only hope.

 

 

 

 

Donghae’s face becomes a familiar presence over the next few days, joining the band at rehearsal for the Gayo performances and also at the actual Gayo event.

 

None of his band have commented on the male being around, though Kyuhyun has a sneaky suspicion Minho has informed them of walking in on Kyuhyun and Donghae making out.

 

He became suspicious the second his bandmates would knock on the door if they knew he and Donghae were potentially alone, which is something they never do because it requires too much effort. So yeah, Kyuhyun was instantly suspicious.

 

But he was thankful, because it meant it gave him and Donghae time to sort themselves out.

 

Not that they immediately latch on to each other the second they’re alone -  they do possess self-restraint – but they would cuddle as Kyuhyun monitors the videos Donghae had taken of their rehearsal sessions, listening to the male’s advice on movement.

 

And they would kiss too, phone forgotten as the pull of being so close to each other finally got too much to simply ignore.

 

The intensity of their kisses was growing every time they kissed. It was like they weren’t getting enough of each other every time.

 

“You’re gonna ruin the hard work the makeup artist has done to make me look alive,” Kyuhyun whispers, smiling as Donghae kisses his cheek, hugging him from behind.

 

Donghae shrugs as he sways them from side to side, lips trailing along Kyuhyun’s jaw with butterfly kisses.

 

“If it stops you from feeling so nervous, then I’ll continue to do it,” Donghae whispers back, smiling.

 

“You’ll soon get used to feeling it,” Kyuhyun comforts. “Maybe.”

 

“I get the rush of performing without having to do any of the work, it’s great!” Donghae teases, before snuggling his face against the side of Kyuhyun’s neck, causing him to stifle a laugh.

 

“You going to let go soon?” Kyuhyun asks, finishing drying his hands now, eyes still on their reflection. “Anyone can walk in here.”

 

Donghae tightens his hold, smirk clear in his reflection.

 

Kyuhyun swallows, anticipation building as the older male’s lips trail up his neck and towards his ear.

 

“Give me a kiss, and I’ll leave you alone,” Donghae whispers, eyes still fixed on Kyuhyun’s.

 

Kyuhyun breaks eye contact to turn around in the male’s hold. “Becoming addicted?” he murmurs, playing with the male’s smart attire. Even though he wasn’t an official guest, they both knew cameras lurked everywhere backstage, so if he was here as support, he had to look the part, just in case.

 

Donghae, careful of Kyuhyun’s stage outfit and hair, had to resort to putting his hands on either side of the counter behind Kyuhyun, caging him without physically touching him.

 

Kyuhyun, on the other hand, can touch all he wants.

 

He twirls the end of Donghae’s tie around his hand. “Hmm?” he prompts, since Donghae hadn’t answered him when he moved.

 

“Maybe,” Donghae answers, smiling as Kyuhyun tugs his tie slightly. “Did I mention you look good tonight?”

 

“Flattery is sweet and all, but I want to know how much you want a kiss right now,” Kyuhyun demands, voice hush and playful.

 

“As much as you currently want one,” Donghae responds back, just as hushed, using their bond to his advantage.

 

Being in a public restroom, probably isn’t the safest nor sensible place to be falling into a very intimate bubble, but that pull is back, and both of them are enjoying it too much to stop.

 

“It’s a shame that we can’t,” Kyuhyun tuts, enjoying Donghae’s reaction to his words. “You’re going to have to wait,” he whispers, leaning close to kissing Donghae, to tease him.

 

Kyuhyun flicks the male’s tie over the male’s shoulder and slips free as he hears their manager’s voice start hollering for the band to get back to their room for final look check.

 

He leaves Donghae behind, but it doesn’t matter. The older male is in every inch of Kyuhyun’s mind.

 

Their performance timeslot approaches, and as they get ready under the stage, final checks to their instruments and microphone headsets, Kyuhyun finds the corner in his mind for him to find focus, to block out the sound of the show and the audience.

 

He goes over the remix they’re performing tonight, his stage route throughout it, remembering the specific camera numbers they were told to catch during sound rehearsal, and he slowly sinks into his on stage persona.

 

As the staff start counting down, the idol group above them close to finishing their performance, Kyuhyun feels Donghae’s giddy excitement through the bond, knowing the older male is in their dressing room, watching the show, waiting for him to perform.

 

That settles the last of his nerves, and Kyuhyun shines with his band as they perform for the next four minutes.

 

 

 

 

To the surprise of them all, on the last music show, they’re awarded with the Best Band of 2015.

 

No one expected it. It – along with four others – were completely done based on fellow artists voting, and the band hadn’t thought much about it when they had to vote weeks ago.

 

They welcomed in the start of 2016, huddled together amongst the hundreds of other artists on stage, cherishing an award that they were given by their fellow entertainers.

 

At the after party, Kyuhyun knows his bandmates are getting drunk and finally allowing themselves to be more casual with their fellow artists, maybe Changmin is possibly showing off his idol dance knowledge.

 

Kyuhyun, however, is not at the after party. He did go, but never stayed.

 

He had only meant to wish the older male a Happy New Year, since Donghae hadn’t attended tonight’s show due to prior arrangement with friends. He had only phoned him to say those words and to clarify his good news that he no doubt would’ve felt.

 

Those words were said, but a whole lot more was spoken too.

 

So here he was, clutching the older male to him, surrounded by the older male’s scent as they kiss, and becoming more and more desperate for each other.

 

Arching up off the male’s bed as Donghae bites and sucks the side of his neck, the side of his shirt pulled roughly to the side to allow more access to the sensitive spot, Kyuhyun whines and pulls at the male to kiss him again, needing more.

 

Both moan into the kiss with satisfaction, and Donghae practically melts on top of Kyuhyun as they kiss.

 

However, just has hands start to wander more than they’ve both dared to go before, both of them break the kiss to hiss as a burning sensation slams into them.

 

“What the fu-” Donghae breathes out, sitting up as he wrenches his top off to inspect where the sudden pain is coming from on his skin.

 

Kyuhyun’s own pain is forgotten the second he sees the patch of red and irritated skin.

 

Their heavy breathing is the only sound, and the burning sensation dims to a slow noticeable throb.

 

Kyuhyun’s own hand moves to press where the heat of the burn is coming from on his own torso, just below his chest.

 

Donghae’s finger lightly trails the Mark, and both meet each other’s eye the second he does.

 

Donghae yanks open Kyuhyun’s shirt, buttons being pulled from their stitching, and Kyuhyun shoves it off as he too inspects his own Mark, which is in the exact same place as Donghae’s is.

 

“Holy shit,” Donghae whispers, awed, as he gently runs a finger over Kyuhyun’s skin.

 

Their Mark was in the form of an infinity symbol, small and thin.

 

“We’re bonded,” Kyuhyun whispers, looking up at Donghae. “The Transfer is done.”

 

“It’s official,” Donghae whispers back.

 

“We’re Soul Partners.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Mark is healthy,” the doctor concludes, done inspecting both. “The irritation and tenderness will only last a few more days.”

 

Both of them pull their shirts back down as the doctor goes back to his computer to write it in their notes.

 

“I’m glad you took my advice,” he says as he types. “Whilst you’re here, Kyuhyun, let’s see if the Transfer has changed where you sit on the Energy Spectrum.”

 

Kyuhyun isn’t even surprised when it starts beeping the second he’s hooked up to it.

 

“We’ll test you again in a few days, allow the changes to be settled before we can put you down permanently as being on the lower end,” the doctor says, turning it off and releasing Kyuhyun from it.

 

“Changes?” Donghae echoes as they move back into the office. “I thought everything was complete now?”

 

The doctor gives them an amused look. “You’ll find out in the next twenty-four hours or so where your bond lies. If it’s platonic, you won’t feel any pressing need nor desire to be with the other person in such a way, just a fondness for the other.”

 

“And if it isn’t?”

 

“Then you’re going to be hit with some very raw emotion,” the doctor says, sobering. “Try to make yourselves as free as you can during these hours, you’ll need to be able to see the other as soon as it starts.”

 

Kyuhyun squeezes Donghae’s hand, nervous. “Can you give us any clue to what we should be expecting?”

 

“It’ll be similar to how it all started. You’ll need contact, to reassure that the bond is safe and secure. The contact isn’t about Soul Energy this time, but about the bond itself. Soul Partners that are romantically bonded experience love and loss more severely. Use that time to talk about your future. Your… relationship.”

 

As they leave, heads once again swimming with more information, the doctor makes them pause with his final words.

 

“Souls remember the imprint of love, not the memories or time in which that love was created. This love is new to you both, yet it is old. Whatever the identity of the bond, remember that.”

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun has no schedules, only seeing his family in a few days, but apart from that, he’s free.

 

Donghae doesn’t have any jobs, so they decide to go for a drive.

 

They end up at one of Kyuhyun’s favourite hiking trails he used to visit during university.

 

“It feels like that was a lifetime ago,” he says, both of them walking in tandem up the hiking trail. “I can’t even remember university.”

 

“I’m not the academic type,” Donghae admits, enjoying the scenery and clear air. “University sounded like hell.”

 

“So... how did you get into modelling then?”

 

Donghae frowns. “I never told you?”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head.

 

“Huh. Maybe it was the others.”

 

“More than likely,” Kyuhyun says, shoving him playfully, before sobering slightly. “Actually, come to think of it, have we ever had a talk about our pasts?”

 

Donghae diverts off the trail to sit on some of the rocks, gesturing for Kyuhyun to join him.

 

“We haven’t really talked about anything personal,” Donghae says, gazing around the calmness of the woods. “It’s odd when you really think about it.”

 

“I guess that’s what the Doc meant,” Kyuhyun murmurs. “It’s easy to be influenced by the bond and everything with it, that it’s easy to forget that, how many weeks ago is has been now, we were just strangers.”

 

“Started out as strangers pretending to be Soul Partners, and then actually became Soul Partnered,” Donghae laughs, and Kyuhyun joins him.

 

“Then we had a moment of pretending the other didn’t exist,” Kyuhyun flinches at the older male’s words, “and then we slowly began to trust each other, enjoy each other’s company.”

 

“And here we are,” Kyuhyun adds. “Waiting.”

 

They sit in silence, enjoying being free from the busy city life of Seoul and work, and just enjoying the quiet of nature.

 

“Do you still want it to be platonic?”

 

Kyuhyun looks over at the male, reading his face, as is the male doing to him.

 

“I don’t think the bond was ever platonic,” Kyuhyun answers, heart beginning to race as they finally address something they should’ve talked about weeks ago.

 

“Why do you think that?”

 

“From the moment we met, there was a pull,” Kyuhyun says. “I thought it was merely attraction, and then I woke up in hospital a few days later.”

 

Donghae is nodding. “Yeah, I thought it was just attraction too.”

 

Kyuhyun fights back the pleased smile of knowing that Donghae found him attractive before everything got messy.

 

Donghae nudges him, amused. “Yah, I can feel it you know.”

 

“How much can you feel?” Kyuhyun asks, bring his legs up so he can sit cross-legged on the stone.

 

Donghae turns thoughtful. “For a while now, I would say I get a lot from you. I know I get emotions you’re trying to hide.”

 

Kyuhyun knew it, and his face starts to burn at the admission. “L-like what?”

 

 “You weren’t the only one who had a crush.”

 

And just like that, Kyuhyun can’t breathe.

 

Donghae rubs his thigh gently, expression tender. “If we’re being honest now and open, I never wanted a platonic bond, Kyuhyun.”

 

Kyuhyun grabs his hand, needing something to anchor him. “W-what?” he stutters in shock. “But you-”

 

“You were the one to state it first,” Donghae reminds him gently. “Back in the hospital, you were the one who mentioned keeping the bond strictly platonic.”

 

 

_“Neither of us want this,” Kyuhyun cuts in. “We don’t want the emotional bond as well as having to rely on each other to keep the other alive.”_

 

 

Kyuhyun swallows as he remembers that day. He had been so sucked into how he felt, he never once looked to see how Donghae felt.

 

 

_Donghae finally looks back at him, confused. “Why are you apologising?”_

_Kyuhyun shrugs. “Neither of us want this.”_

 

 

Hell, at that point in time, he doesn’t think he even cared.

 

Kyuhyun cringes, and Donghae catches it, soothing him as he moves closer.

 

“We’re total opposites, me and you,” Donghae says softly, holding Kyuhyun. “I’ve always dreamed of finding my Soul Partner, whereas you despise the idea.”

 

“I didn’t always despise it,” Kyuhyun admits. “I used to wish for at every birthday and New Year until I hit my teens.”

 

Kyuhyun looks at the male. “Why didn’t you ever speak up?”

 

Donghae smiles softly. “Because I knew you were struggling to accept it. Struggling to accept _me._ ”

 

Kyuhyun remembers the first month or so in the house, where he felt like he couldn’t trust Donghae enough with their secret, how it felt like he was carrying the burden alone until the older male proved at Halloween the many layers to him.

 

“So you knew the second I realised I had feelings for you?” Kyuhyun questions, and Donghae nods. “Then why didn’t you show anything!?”

 

“I did. I always did,” Donghae defends. “Why do you think Amber acted the way she did around us, she always saw my attempts of flirting.”

 

“She doesn’t-”

 

“No, she doesn’t,” Donghae assures quickly. “She just thinks we have severe sexual tension and we’re both too hesitant to make the first move.”

 

Kyuhyun snorts at that, reliving the memories of some of their kisses.

 

“Wait,” Kyuhyun starts, brain only just catching onto something. “How come your end of the bond is more developed? What the hell?”

 

“Are we seriously about to become petty over this?” Donghae asks, amused.

 

“Err, yeah! It feels like you know more about me than I know about you!”

 

“I only know what you’re feeling, and even then I have to guess since emotions are complex to know without a context to them,” Donghae soothes, nuzzling the side of Kyuhyun’s neck to calm him. “I make assumptions of what I get, and then put it together when I see you.”

 

“So you don’t get specific emotions?” Kyuhyun asks, intrigued. “Every emotion the bond has filtered to me I’ve known instantly what you were feeling.”

 

Now it’s Donghae’s turn to act petty. “Yah, do you know how hard it was to figure out what the hell you were feeling? It would stop me from what I was doing just so I could figure it out!”

 

Kyuhyun smirks, pleased. “Good. That must mean I’m hard to read.”

 

“Oh? Does that mean I’m easy?”

 

Kyuhyun does it without thinking, because the action itself felt like the most natural response to that look on the male’s face, and briefly kisses the pout from the older male’s lips.

 

“It just means I’m-”

 

Kyuhyun sighs into the kiss, holding the male’s face gently, as Donghae tenderly cuts him off with kisses, having chased for more.

 

And just like that, Kyuhyun’s chest blooms with warmth, his heart skipping, his tummy fluttering and skin tingling.

 

It’s almost similar to Soul Energy, but this is more focused within his chest, as if it’s burning the memory of the emotion so he’ll never forget it.

 

“Do you-” Kyuhyun attempts to ask, breathless against Donghae’s lips, and feels the older male nod rapidly.

 

“Yeah, I feel it too,” Donghae whispers, awed.

 

The feeling continues to grow, becoming more intense, and Kyuhyun can feel his eyes prick with tears from it as they both clutch at each other, breathing in each other when they’re not softly kissing.

 

The Imprint of Love, the final act to their bond.

 

After a while of being enamoured with each other, they head back down the trail.

 

Only this time, they’re holding hands, pressed close as only lovers do when they walk, laughing as Donghae tells Kyuhyun the reason why he became a model.

 

“The start of your modelling career began as Baby of the Year, butt naked,” Kyuhyun laughs, hysterical with the image.

 

“Don’t worry, the second she meets you she’ll show you, but even now I’ll never understand why she decided to submit that image,” Donghae says, enjoying how Kyuhyun’s laughter echoes around them.

 

“In your mother’s defence, your rear does look good, so she saw some potential in it all those years ago,” Kyuhyun teases.

 

“I was a cute baby too,” Donghae stresses, shoving him put keeping tight hold on his hand so he can’t leave his side, and Kyuhyun clings to him in revenge, making them stumble a little.

 

“You’re still cute,” Kyuhyun says, laughing still, and surprisingly the compliment doesn’t make freeze or cringe because it rolled off his tongue so easily.

 

Donghae practically glows at the compliment, and when Kyuhyun finally feels embarrassed, he doesn’t let him go until he’s got his arms wrapped around Kyuhyun, kissing him again.

 

“I think you’re the cuter one,” Donghae murmurs, kissing him again.

 

Kyuhyun lightly slaps the male’s back, but accepts the kiss happily.

 

“I refuse to be one of those gross couples,” Kyuhyun states when they’re back in the car.

 

Donghae freezes buckling himself in, and Kyuhyun stares at him in confusion as the older male stares at him.

 

“What?” Kyuhyun asks.

 

“I…I’m so used to referring us as Soul Partners that the word ‘couple’ completely hit it home,” Donghae says honestly, unable to phrase it any differently.

 

Kyuhyun’s cheeks start to warm, understanding. ‘Soul Partners’ is such a…jargon word, a heavy word, whereas ‘couple’ is something a lot less heavy.

 

“Let’s be a couple first, yeah?” Kyuhyun says as Donghae starts driving. “Learn each other first, go on dates.”

 

Donghae’s hand reaches for his and Kyuhyun gives him, resting in in the middle.

 

“Sounds like a good idea, Hyun,” Donghae says with a relaxed smile, his previous tension gone.

 

“You know, I never did say you could call me that.”

 

“Call you what?”

 

“’Hyun’. You started calling me it in the house.”

 

Donghae grins. “You started calling me ‘Hae’ in the house.”

 

Kyuhyun glares at him. “No I didn’t.”

 

“Do we need to have a marathon of all of the episodes? You referred to me as ‘Hae’ to the other housemates.”

 

“I’m going to prove you wrong,” Kyuhyun vows, not believing it since he was always so careful to not say the nickname he would use in his head out loud.

 

They spend the rest of the day doing just that.

 

To Kyuhyun’s horror, Donghae had been right.

 

“At least I only use your nickname in private,” Donghae teases, hand running through Kyuhyun’s hair as they lie together on the male’s bed.

 

“I can give you a different nickname if you’re not careful,” Kyuhyun threatens, playing back.

 

“I think we should wait until you’ve experienced how godly I am before you start calling me one,” Donghae retorts, tone dropping, and Kyuhyun practically burns at the insinuation.

 

Donghae starts laughing hysterically as he fights off a flustered Kyuhyun, who is determined to shove him off the bed.

 

Their play fighting turns into a tickling fight, Kyuhyun rediscovering Donghae’s weakness to it, and Donghae reduces the fighting to soft kisses, using Kyuhyun’s own weakness of being kissed against him.

 

Kyuhyun still gets the last laugh in by hitting the older male with one of his pillows when they’re done kissing.

 

He just needed to prove his point that he does not take well to being flustered.

 

 

 

 

 

Over the following weeks, they leave behind ‘Soul Partners’ and ‘Soul Bond’, and just focus on being two normal men dating each other.

 

Family are introduced, friendship circles are mixed.

 

Both of their companies know the score that if it is ever revealed before Donghae or Kyuhyun do it themselves about them dating, that they will only clarify they are a couple.

 

Only intimate friends and family know the full truth of them being Soul Partners.

 

Whilst the weeks were high with the excitement of learning more about each other and the fun that comes with dating, there were moments of tension, however, they worked through it.

 

The biggest thing that had prevented and really caused Kyuhyun’s animosity to Soul Partners is the vulnerability of having another person know intimate things about you.

 

Kyuhyun had expected this to creep in, and he was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t.

 

Maybe it’s because he’s gotten to know Donghae as person rather than because of a bond, or maybe it’s because he doesn’t care if Donghae knows everything about him.

 

His fear doesn’t apply to his relationship with Donghae, but it still exists. If anything, because of his relationship with Donghae, his fear has grown, wanting to make sure no one ever learns of their private lives.

 

It’s like his fear has become barrier, protecting them, making Kyuhyun more wary of who he befriends and who he trusts.

 

Thankfully, his work doesn’t involve in the selling of ‘Soul Partners’ again now that it is a reality for him.

 

But the world keeps on selling it, and society continues to crave it.

 

It’s why they both want to keep it a secret, neither of them can anticipate how demanding people will become – both publically and work related.

 

No. Soul Partners are private. Their love is special and rare.

 

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Donghae murmurs, amused.

 

Kyuhyun looks up at him, his finger stopping its tracing over Donghae’s Mark. “Nothing.”

 

Donghae tugs on his hair playfully, causing Kyuhyun to hiss slightly, eyes narrowing.

 

“Wanna try that again?” Donghae asks.

 

Kyuhyun moves so that he’s no longer draped over the male, and Donghae raises an eyebrow in question as Kyuhyun shifts up higher.

 

Kyuhyun kisses him gently, slowly, inhaling the male’s scent before breaking the kiss.

 

“What’s that for?” Donghae whispers, concern slipping through their bond.

 

Kyuhyun rubs their noses together before kissing him again, slipping his leg over so he’s covering the male’s body, the duvet that had been covering them slipping off.

 

Donghae makes a concerned sound during their kiss, his hands rubbing up and down Kyuhyun’s thighs soothingly.

 

“Hyun?”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head a little, hand running through Donghae’s hair, pushing the male’s soft fringe from off his face, before leaning down and kissing him again.

 

Another spike of concern through the bond.

 

“I’m okay,” Kyuhyun whispers, knowing the male won’t rest until he says it since he knows Donghae still struggles to read his emotions coherently enough.

 

“Then what’s with the sudden affection?” Donghae asks, nothing but curious.

 

Kyuhyun trails his kisses down to the male’s neck, being soft with the pressure because Donghae has a job tomorrow.

 

Donghae’s hand finds its way into his hair again, and Kyuhyun bites his lip this time as Donghae pulls to get his attention.

 

The bond thrums with the rush of desire from both of them.

 

“Just happy,” Kyuhyun answers the male’s question, staring down at the older male.

 

“Any particular reason?” Donghae asks, amused, as Kyuhyun brings Donghae’s other hand up from his thigh so he can interlock their fingers and kiss the back of it.

 

“I have you all to myself?” Kyuhyun says, feeling pleased when Donghae inhales sharply, eyes darkening, “and it’s my birthday soon.”

 

He squeals as Donghae nips his sides, shoving him over so that he’s covering him now.

 

Kyuhyun laughs, winded from the sudden change, but eagerly accepts the kiss Donghae bruises his lips with.

 

“Anything you want?” Donghae asks when he allows Kyuhyun some respite from his passionate kiss.

 

Kyuhyun pushes with the heel of his foot for the male to press closer to him, humming in content as the male lies flushed better between his legs.

 

“A break?” Kyuhyun suggests. “You can be pretty draining-Ow! Okay, I was joking!” Kyuhyun laughs as Donghae slaps his thigh.

 

“You’re such a brat,” Donghae hisses, kissing him. “Such a brat.”

 

“The best kind,” Kyuhyun agrees, hands clutching the male closer, moaning when Donghae nips his lower lip.

 

Kyuhyun kicks off the duvet still attempting to cover them, not allowing Donghae to stop kissing him, even when he tries to pull away so he can kiss elsewhere.

 

Donghae’s laugh is muffled due to their kissing, but Kyuhyun still catches it, so he slaps the male’s boxer covered rear.

 

Donghae breaks the kiss with a sharp hiss, his hips rolling down as Kyuhyun’s own presses up, enjoying the friction.

 

“Today was meant to be a chill day,” Donghae reminds Kyuhyun of the break he has from band commitments.

 

Kyuhyun’s hands trail over the male’s broad bare back, feeling the muscle, and swallowing as always.

 

When they first started getting really intimate, Kyuhyun had nearly lost his mind when he realised just _how_ built Donghae was. Sure, he’d seen the male shirtless, but _feeling_ is a lot different than seeing.

 

“I can play Starcraft later, right now, I want you,” Kyuhyun says, eyes already shutting as Donghae dives for his throat, shuddering as he starts to squirm, sensitive to the erotic feeling of the Donghae’s lips.

 

He feels one of Donghae’s hands pushing up the t-shirt he wears to bed, the other hand supporting his weight, and Kyuhyun’s hand strokes over the muscle, moaning at feeling the strength.

 

Kyuhyun’s allowed a few seconds to prepare himself as they yank his top off him, before feeling Donghae’s bare chest meet his own.

 

The burst of Soul Energy only increases the heat climbing over their skin, and Kyuhyun’s glad he had the sense to kick off the duvet beforehand.

 

Donghae rolls them back over so Kyuhyun is on top, and Kyuhyun immediately locks lips with him again, moaning as Donghae’s hands run down his spine, all the way down to his bare rear.

 

The moment Kyuhyun had learned that Donghae likes knowing he’s bare under the baggy t-shirts he wears to bed (now Donghae’s own, since he’s broader than Kyuhyun), he took advantage of whenever he could.

 

When Donghae squeezes his rear, the bite of his blunt nails causing him to push back into the male’s hold, Kyuhyun’s own hand runs down to lightly drag his own nail over Donghae’s Mark.

 

Donghae bucks beneath him, a broken moan being ate up by Kyuhyun’s pleased kiss.

 

“Are we going to play dirty?” Kyuhyun asks coyly, meeting Donghae’s challenging gaze.

 

Kyuhyun’s answer is swift spank to his left cheek.

 

Kyuhyun pins the male’s hands to the bed, breathing fast, his head full of the male’s emotions and his own.

 

Sometimes, Kyuhyun has to remind Donghae that when it comes to playing dirty, Kyuhyun always wins.

 

Kyuhyun is Donghae’s ultimate weakness, after all.

 

Just like how Donghae is for him.

 

Kyuhyun just hides it better.

 

But then again, Kyuhyun has always been the better reader out of the pair of them.

 

If you had asked Kyuhyun this time last year that in only a few months his entire life would change, that he would end up accepting the Soul Partner phenomenon, that he would have found the very thing he had ridiculed for so many years, he would laugh in your face.

 

Sure, they have this Imprint of Love that brought them together as Soul Partners, but right now, they are Donghae and Kyuhyun, a couple in the early, honeymoon stages of their relationship.

 

So, in a world where the existence of Soul Partners occurs, what truly becomes of these souls’ tales?

 

We saw the start of another tale, an expansion of another journey of an ancient love finding each other again.

 

These Souls were lucky to find each other again, to relive the love that was imprinted onto their souls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some, they never will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Completed List of Definitions
> 
> 1\. _Soul (not my own definition, you can thank the dictionary for this):_ regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body. The spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come. The emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.
> 
> 2\. _Soul Partners:_ A Soul’s other half(ves). A Soul Partner may just have one other, or more. 
> 
> 3\. _Soul Bond:_ it can be romantic or platonic. Bond allows the Soul Partner(s) to share emotions and a sense of awareness to the other(s). 
> 
> 4\. _Soul Energy:_ Soul’s life force. It is directly linked to their partner(s), and is only awakened when rejoined. It feeds the Bond, helps nurture each other’s soul, and also to keep each other healthy in general. 
> 
> 5\. _Energy Starvation:_ Links with the Transfer. Souls are reconnecting, and in the process, it will influence the body too. During the Transfer, Energy Starvation is dangerous because it is so easy to not get enough of physical contact whilst souls try to rejoin. If Energy Starvation occurs and lingers, the body will begin to deteriorate. If help isn’t sought, the soul that is suffering the starvation the most will die first. Soul Partners cannot starve alone, all that is bonded will starve too. 
> 
> 6\. _Transfer:_ Happens during the initial stages of reunifying of the souls. Transfer indicates to the imprint of the love that each soul carries for the other. This love is transferred during the constant physical touching. It builds the emotional bond (aka Soul Bond).
> 
> 7\. _Reunification:_ The act of Soul Partners accomplishing in finding the other and beginning the Transfer. It is the action of souls becoming one again.
> 
> 8\. _Mark_ : Reunited souls will then bare a mark on their skin to showcase they have found their Soul Partner. However, if the Soul Partners indeed have another soul that has yet to join them, the mark on their skin will only be half complete and faded. The marks/scarification differ, depending on the souls.
> 
> 9\. _Platonic Soul Bond_ : Some Souls are connected to others purely due to the nature of the Souls being so mutually alike without any romantic inclinations. Also known as the ‘Platonic Bonds’.
> 
> 10\. _Energy Spectrum:_ Some souls register on the lower or higher end of how much contact is needed to maintain a healthy bonded life. This is almost a rarity.
> 
> 11\. _Soul Imprint_ : Soul Imprint means a soul bond is one of love. Once the Transfer is complete, the nature of the bond clarified due to this imprint. Platonic soul bonds do not Soul Imprint.
> 
> \-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
>  
> 
> Well, that's it! 
> 
> It was a slow-build fic because I wanted to show a 'real' reaction to suddenly finding out you're now bonded to a stranger in a intimately and vulnerable way. The pacing represented their Transfer (hopefully), at times it was slow, at moments things suddenly escalated, and then at the end you have things going from 'calm~' to 'hold on to something, this is getting _real_ '.
> 
>  
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed my version of a soulmate au! As always, thank you for the feedback and the love~ You're all sweeties ^-^

**Author's Note:**

> Expect the end notes to have a list of definitions for the upcoming chapters, because I will be throwing a lot at you throughout it, and I don't want you guys to get lost whenever something is mentioned!
> 
>  
> 
> The next update will be this Saturday! ^-^


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